Saint Anthony - Stained Glass Religious Medal "EXCLUSIVE"

As early as the fourth century, stained glass windows, originally used by wealthy Romans in their homes, were used in Christian churches. The designs in glass depicted Biblical characters and the saints. In such shapes, the windows could do more than simply add light and beauty to the church. Stained glass windows were a way to add beauty and to provide narrative information to those who looked at them. Churches often had stained glass windows because they were both sites of worship and learning.

One of the most beloved of saints. His images and statues are ubiquitous. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on January 16, 1946, he is sometimes called "Evangelical Doctor". He is especially invoked for the recovery of things lost ("Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, please come around. Something is lost and cannot be found."). On January 27, 1907 in Beaumont, Texas, a church was dedicated and named in honor of St. Anthony of Padua. The church was later designated a cathedral in 1966 with the formation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont, but was not formally consecrated. On April 28, 1974, St Anthony Cathedral was dedicated and consecrated by Bishop Warren Boudreaux. In 2006 Pope Benedict XVI granted St. Anthony Cathedral the designation of minor basilica. St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica celebrated its 100th anniversary on January 28, 2007. Seventeenth century Spanish missionaries came across a small Native American community along what was then known as the Yanaguana River on the feast day of Saint Anthony and renamed the river and eventually a mission built nearby in his honor. This mission would at first become the focal point of a small community that would eventually grow in size and scope to become the city of San Antonio.