“Relics are parts of the body of a saint who was the Temple of the Holy Spirit.”- Pope Francis
San Diego CA— After successful tours this year in the Diocese of Savannah, the Diocese of New York, the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the Diocese of Boston, and the Diocese of Victoria, British Columbia, the final tour of 2019 will be in the Golden State of North America.
From Friday, November 29, to Sunday, December 8, two first-class and precious relics of the Portuguese-born saint, Saint Anthony of Padua, will visit the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, in Southern California.
At the invitation of His Excellency, Most Reverend Robert W. McElroy, Bishop of San Diego, Father Bortolino Maistrello will bring the reliquaries from the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua, in Padua, Italy, near the enchanting city of Venice. The two exquisite reliquaries contain layers of skin of the saint’s face and a fragment of his rib. Tom Muscatello, North America Representative, will accompany the Franciscan Friar.
Father Bortolino is one of fifty-two Franciscan OFM Conventual Friars who minister in the Pontifical Basilica in Padua, where the saint is buried.
Prayer petitions with holy cards will be distributed in each parish to allow parishioners to write their prayer petition and intentions to the saint. Veneration is touching the reliquaries with the prayer petition and religious objects such as rosary beads, holy cards, Holy Scripture, to name a few. The writing of a prayer petition is a worldwide tradition when venerating a relic of a saint. Father Bortolino will bring the petitions back to the Pontifical Basilica in Padua and place them at the tomb of Saint Anthony.
Two first-class relics will travel from Padua, Italy to Sunny California to usher in Advent. The tour dates are from Friday, November 29 to Sunday, December 8. This visit to Southern California is a blessing for the Franciscan Community whose fellow Franciscan Friars brought the Catholic Church to the Golden State through the twenty-one missions they established. Father Bortolino Maistrello will bring the reliquaries from the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua in Northern Italy to North America. One reliquary contains the fragment of the saint’s rib and the other reliquary contains skin of the saint’s face.
Friday, November 29 
Saint Elizabeth Seton
- 6628 Santa Isabel St. in Carlsbad
- The Holy Mass is at 7 PM
- Veneration will begin at 6 PM
Saturday, November 30
Mission San Luis Rey Parish
- 4070 Mission Avenue in Oceanside
- 5 PM Vigil Mass.
- Veneration begins at 2 PM
Wednesday, December 4
Saint John the Evangelist
- 1001 Encinitas Blvd. in Encinitas
- Holy Mass is at 7 PM.
- Veneration begins at 5 PM
The tour officially ends back at the Tomb of Saint Anthony where the Friars will gather to pray for the saint’s intercession upon our intentions and petitions. The 24/7/365 live webcam of the Tomb: http://www.santantonio.org/en/basilica. The official website of the international website in English of the Franciscans OFM Conventuals in Padua, Italy, is www.saintanthonyofpadua.net.