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Sunday we celebrate the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua. He is very special to me and I have felt his presence in my life for a long time. Did you know that he is regarded as the quickest person to be named a saint? Pope Gregory IX named him a saint less than a year after his death in 1231. Also, it is reported that when he died, the bells of the churches in Padua rang of their own accord. Many people said that the angels rang the bells to welcome Anthony to Heaven. St. Anthony has been a good prayer partner for me over the years and I continue to call on my friend to join me in prayer for various issues and conflicts. I encourage you to connect with one of the saints and build a relationship. Discover why they were selected to become a saint and ask them to pray for you and your needs. You may find the same comfort I do with St. Anthony, as I know he is always at my side. I just discovered that the Catholic Student Center at Lamar University is adding a new chapel to their on-campus facility. Apparently the Diocese of Beaumont made it a priority and raised the money to enhance the experience for the Catholic students. What a fantastic decision and commitment. I am praying that God bless this ministry and that hundreds of students discover the joy of living in communion with Jesus Christ everyday. As St. Paul writes in Philemon 1:20, "Refresh my heart in Christ."

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