Italian farmers, who are among this year’s pilgrims of hope for the 2025 Jubilee, brought their animals to the Vatican on Friday to be blessed by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti on the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot.
Several farmers from across the country transported horses, cattle, goats, geese, chickens, and rabbits to a makeshift stable set up in front of St. Peter’s Square to celebrate the Jan. 17 feast day of the patron saint of farmers and animals.
St. Anthony the Abbot — also known as St. Anthony of the Desert or St. Anthony the Great — was a fourth-century hermit known for his asceticism and is considered the father of Christian monasticism. His holy life in the Egyptian desert was also recorded by St. Athanasius in “The Life of St. Antony.”
Following the morning Mass celebration inside St. Peter’s Basilica, Gambetti personally greeted livestock breeders attending this year’s festival, thanking them for their care of God’s creation.
“God cherishes his creation. He cares for the animals, the plants, because these create the conditions for life to continue and flourish, especially intelligent life, the life of humankind,” Gambetti told crowds outside St. Peter’s Square.
“God cares for each of you, especially you who have responded to his original call to cultivate and care for his creation,” he continued.
Fulvio, a horse breeder from the northern part of the Lazio region, told EWTN News that the blessing of the animals on St. Anthony’s feast day is important for him and his family.
“This event is the blessing of the animals, and as we care for our animals it is very important for us to receive this blessing for our animals,” he shared. “St. Anthony is an inspirational figure for us — he is the protector of our farm.”
Each year, the Italian state police lead a parade down Via della Conciliazione, the main street leading toward the Vatican, to St. Peter’s Square as part of the day’s celebrations.
This article was originally published on Catholic News Agency.
