One of the reasons why I am on the forum is to introduce you to a saint. I've wanted to do this for a long time, but I can't seem to find enough time. Before, I told you a little about St. Leopold Bogdan Mandić, since he is also a Croat. However, Ante (Antonije) Antić is my favorite saint. Normally, I am very conservative when it comes to apparitions and saints, I approach very cautiously and only recognize officially approved ones. During the last century as a country we lived through 3 great wars, dictatorships of foreign powers, Nazism, fascism and the longest and most destructive communism. During WW2 alone, over 670 priests were killed (99% killed by communists) in a country of 4 million inhabitants, persecution of the Church and believers during the next 46 years (1945-1991). And then another war for independence (1991-1995)... There were many holy priests there, and there were some who were endowed by God with supernatural gifts. One of them is Ante (Anthony) Antić. I can freely say my favorite saint. He had the gift of reading the human heart, prophecy and bilocation and many others. There are over 5000 answered prayers, miracles and healings. In his ministry, in addition to confessing, he was an educator of young monks. He was extremely soft-spoken, humble in every word, with his head bowed and always humble in all his actions. He was born on the island of Prvić (today Croatia) then part of the Austrian Empire, whose parents made a vow to St. Anthony during a big storm on the Adriatic sea that if they survived, they would dedicate the child to God and name him Anthony. As a young man, he lost his father, lived in difficult conditions with his large family, several members of which died young. Later he went to school and joined the Franciscan order. In his life, he was known for his confessions, first in Makarska, later in Zagreb, By the way, Father Antić spent the first part of his life in Makarska, and later in 1946, at the invitation of Cardinal Stepinac (now blessed) he went to Zagreb to be an educator of novices when communists came to power. There are a lot of testimonies and over 5000 hearings and many personal and medical miracles. I would like to present only a few in the hope of spreading the veneration for this quiet, yet extremely great saint. I forgot to say, his body remained intact and preserved when it was moved from the cemetery to the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes. Testimonies are often long and of course written in Croatian. I will shorten a lot and forgive the wrong translation of some words or if the context is lost...It is not intentional. I intend to post testimonials, now I will post a few, and then individual stories. I think you will enjoy it and it will certainly deepen your faith, and you will get to know God better. Prayer: God our Father, source of all that is good! Your son taught us to be perfect and merciful by following the example of your goodness. You raised your servant Father Ante Antić in the Holy Spirit, to perfectly carry out your holy will. Lord, glorify your servant on earth as well with the glory of the saints and through his intercession grant me the graces I now particularly pray for ( now state your intentions).... Above all, bestow your light and mercy upon me, so that like Father Ante Antić, everything I do and suffer may be out of love towards you, who together with your Son and Holy Spirit are the source of all that is good and the peace of all hearts. Amen Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit...(three times).
1) "Several years after the war (ww2), my uncle, a priest, told me that he had two female teachers, then still in the service, but now deceased. They used to go to confession regularly at the Jesuits in Palmotićeva street in Zagreb. One summer they were on vacation in Italy. When they heard about the famous confessor Father Pio of Pietrelcina, a Capuchin, they went to San Giovanni Rotondo, near Foggia, where Father Pio was staying. They came with the desire that they too confess before him. As the number of penitents who came to Father Pius was increasing day by day, it was necessary to look for a slip in time, on the basis of which one would go to the holy confession or spiritual conversation with the mentioned father. They were happy that they received the necessary notes on time. As they both knew Italian, they went to him one after the other. They didn't even mention that they were from Zagreb. They just said: "We want to make a holy confession at your place". He answered both of them: "Why did you come to me? Well, you have a Franciscan confessor, Father Antonio, in Zagreb!" Both were surprised by those words, because they didn't even know that there was a famous confessor in Zagreb - Father Ante Antić. After returning to Zagreb, both of them went to confession at the first opportunity to Father Anti Antic and were extremely satisfied. In fact, they were shocked when Father Ante told them something about their conscience, which their regular confessor never reminded either of them. Father Vinko Pulišić (1920-2006) He wrote this testimony in 1989
2) The election of the Holy Father, the Pope, Christ's Vicar on Earth (1958), took place. I never saw a television, radio or any electrical device in Father Antić's room. At that time, the monastery did not have a television. He was not interested in media communication, it was a waste of time because it prevented him from the path of Christian and evangelical holiness. Father Antić did not even go to other priests to find out about some important events in the world. While I was having a spiritual conversation with him (35-40 minutes), he seemed to me to be in an extraordinary spiritual state. Suddenly, he started clapping hastily and rejoicing and said to me all happy "my brother, my brother, we are getting on our feet, we have a new pope, the holy father Christ's vicar on Earth has been elected, let's go receive his blessing ". At that moment, I immediately wanted to find out where he found out, since there is no television or radio. Where did he get that knowledge from?! As we left the room to go to the room of the head friar Augustin Krola, law student Julio Sulić, who often came to the monastery, appeared down the stairs. As soon as he saw us, he immediately shouted "A new pope has been elected" which he had just heard on the radio. Father Antić: We know, my brother, we know, my brother, let's go at least through the radio to receive his blessing". After a few minutes, several priests gathered in the room of head friar Krola, Father Antić knelt down, prayed for the new pope, his blessing and waited for the dean of the cardinal's choir to announce him. Following his example, the rest of us also knelt, and heard over the radio: Habemus papam, reverndissimum Dominum Dominum cardinalem Roncalli"
3) At the end of the summer of 1961, I met Father Ante Antić for the first time. It was in Samobor, in the corridor of the Franciscan monastery that leads to the sacristy. When I saw Father Antić, I was stunned. That's how his appearance affected me. I heard that he is a saint. Father Antić noticed me and called: "Come closer, daughter!" I arrived with my two-year-old son. Without preamble I said: "Padre, I did this and that." Father Antić answered: "Let's go to the confessional." When I gave him the burden of my soul in that holy place, he continued to reveal my soul as if he had known me since birth. Another great burden lay on my heart. I said to Father Antić: "I still have one big request, Padre. Tell Jesus to please heal my dad. He does not go to church, but he is not godless. He is very good. In winter, don't throw away bread, but soak it and feed it to the birds. Now he is dying in the hospital at St. Duhu (name of the hospital in Zagreb). The doctors prepared us and we prepared the blackness. No one can stand by his bed anymore because of the smell." Father Antić asked how old Dad was. When I told him that he was 73 years old, Father Antić blessed me and said: "When your father recovers, let him thank the Lord God with Holy Confession and Holy Communion." "But Padre, I retort excitedly, he won't go to confession!" "He will, he will be touched by grace," replied Father Antić. This statement, as well as the entire conversation with Father Antić, infused my soul with unshakable security. I left convinced that my dad would get better. Dad really got out of the hospital and lived until December 1967. He only spent the last year lying down. After his recovery in 1961, dad went to confession six times and received St. Communion. Three times he received the last anointing while fully conscious. After my first meeting with Father Antić, I left enriched with the advice: "Pray for the conversion of sinners three Lord's Prayers every day!"
4) Daughter, I can't do anything about it. That's how it will be. The story is told by a mother, an intellectual, a very hardworking and respectable person. "At one time, I joined a group of girls who wanted to be nuns in the world. I was 16 years old at the time. I went to Father Antić to be my spiritual leader. I went to him on several occasions and expressed my intentions. I was shocked and disappointed by his answer. "Daughter, you will marry and divorce". I said: "That's impossible, I know what I want, marriage doesn't cross my mind, I want to be a nun. I'm not attracted to the world - I said and regretted coming to that friar in the first place. I thought that the other priest would surely be delighted with my decision and helped me to achieve it. After the first explosion of anger and disappointment, I fell silent. Father Antić stood humbly, with his arms crossed, looking somewhat sad, and repeated to me again: "Daughter, I can't do anything about it, that's how it will be." And life went on. I forgot about his prophetic words. I contacted the religious community, and was a member of it for several years. And then I got married out of defiance, disappointment, sadness because of the actions I experienced in the community. However, I could not last even in marriage, which for me was an even greater disappointment and misunderstanding. I broke up. Only then did I remember his words. But even then he did not stop contact with me. He wrote to me, sent others to me when I stopped coming to him, he did not lose hope and trust, he prayed for me and presented himself as a sacrifice for me. I could list many miraculous things that have happened to me since then, which I cannot explain in ordinary human ways. I firmly believe that God worked through his holy friar and I can thank him for my religious conversion and development. Written in 1969
5) "Father Antic, I would like to make the big confession of my entire life at your place," said a lady to Father Antic. "Don't, you already made a big confession 15 years ago, it was good, you don't need to repeat it again" The lady was shocked and surprised, how could he know?! Written by Father Ante Katalinić in 1967
6) Once, his superior brought the mail that had just arrived to Father Antić. Father Antić was ill. He couldn't read letters. He looked at the first letter only from the outside without opening the envelope and said to the superior: "You will answer this like this and like this" According to the precise instructions, it was seen that he knew the contents of the letter, even though he did not open it. "I have nothing to answer to this one" - he said when he looked at the second letter... He didn't open that letter either, and so he went in order letter by letter without any confusion. Who would not choose such a man as their spiritual leader? And if you chose him once, who would leave him?!
Thank you for writing about Father Antic,I had never heard of him before and love to hear about new saints. I must admit I especially love to read about these great mystical gifts as they fascinate me. I wonder how many priest/ saints like Father Antic I have never heard of from all over the world? I don't think I have heard of one, currently in Ireland. I wish I could I would be off to see him like a shot. It is noticeable how many saints the Capuchins are turning up with.
No I checked and cannot find anything on the internet in English about him. I hope he becomes better know in the West.
I've been gone for a few days. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas or better to say the birth of our Savior. For now, Ante Antić is a servant of God, I call him a saint, and many called him that during his lifetime, starting with the cardinal to whom he prophesied as a young priest that he would become a bishop. Only, he was so humble that he never talked about his pain, difficulties and took everything on himself from others. When someone praised him, his eyes would fall, he would become sad and often at night he would scrub the floors or clean the stairs as satisfaction because he considered that all praise belongs only to God and that he is not worthy of anything. By the way, there were a lot of "saints" with the gifts of the Holy Spirit even in the 20th century, I already said about St. Leopold Mandić, whose funeral in the middle of WW2 in Italy was attended by over 150,000 people, there is Padre Pio, and in Canada Andre Besette to which over a million people came in his funeral in Canada at the time, which only had about 10 million, and he was not even a confessor, so Solanus Casey another great friar, this time American... It is interesting how they died in order in 1937, 1942, 1957, 1965 and the last Padre Pio in 1968. They all died in the 1960s, when the Second Vatican Council was over, when the sexual revolution, apostasy from the faith and the drop in the birth rate started. It's as if God "revoked" his people and gifts, at least publicly since then...These are only some famous ones, otherwise there were many such priests by the 60's. There is an entire website dedicated to the servant of God Anti (Antonije) Antić in croatian https://www.otacanteantic.com/ He constantly sent letters to people, there are a lot of his quotes and encouragements for faith, along with of course miraculous events and testimonies. So from now on I will also post his quotes and letters as encouragement for faith, as well as testimonies. There is also a prayer to the servant of God Anti Antić. I will put it in English. I will also put it in the first entry. God our Father, source of all that is good! Your son taught us to be perfect and merciful by following the example of your goodness. You raised your servant Father Ante Antić in the Holy Spirit, to perfectly carry out your holy will. Lord, glorify your servant on earth as well with the glory of the saints and through his intercession grant me the graces I now particularly pray for ( now state your intentions).... Above all, bestow your light and mercy upon me, so that like Father Ante Antić, everything I do and suffer may be out of love towards you, who together with your Son and Holy Spirit are the source of all that is good and the peace of all hearts. Amen Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit...(three times).
I continue with the stories... 7) When his mother was pregnant, she and her father found themselves on a rough sea (Adriatic). He was born on an island. The sea was so rough that they thought they were done, then they saw a small island with a chapel dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua. The mother knelt together with the father and made a vow to St. Anthony that if he saves them from the storm, he will name his son Anthony (Ante), dedicate it to God and become a friar. The sea calmed down, they safely reached their home and did not forget their promise. How important that "promise" was to God shows that when he came to the novitiate, each of the young Franciscans gets a new name, which must be different from the one you were given at birth, as a sign of a change in your life. In the basket there are over 100 cards printed with various names. The superior placed the basket and each Franciscan drew his new name. It was Ante Antić's turn, the basket spun and he drew the name Anthony again. However, since that was his name, the Franciscan superior said he had to draw again. And again, among the crowd of names, he drew the name Anthony. The superior was not satisfied again and it was drawn again, and each time the name Anthony was drawn. At the end, the superior said, when God wants you to be called Anthony, then you will be called Anthony ( on Croatian Ante). By the way, his surname is also a derivative of the name Anthony.
From letters to others... Be renewed in the morning, my soul, and start the day as if you were alone in the world with your God. Never engage in long conversations unless they are for the benefit of your neighbor and point to the glory of God. Do not indulge the tongue, greed for food, affection for others. It is for you to live hidden in God with Jesus and Mary. To despise yourself so that you submit to the closer and lower, to suffer "cum pace" when you are despised, when nobody cares for you, nor counts on you. Be happy when you are belittled, despised, scolded.
I am reading this and praying for my son at Adoration. I will continue the prayer also for 9 days. Please help me pray forRod My son. Lost to us —- for complete healing. I will come back to this each day for 9 days . Before I leave I will place all asking for prayer s on the altar.
8) Helping Students On one occasion, a student came to him because he had a difficult exam at the end of the university. Father Antić often helped such people, he said: "Son, son, come to me tomorrow and bring me the book from which you will take the exam." The student went and brought a book for the exam. Father Antić directed him before the Blessed Sacrament with the words: "Son, son, go before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and now I will pray for you for you and come to me." After a few minutes of prayer and kneeling in front of the Blessed Sacrament, he returned to Father Antić, who opened the book and said to him: "Dear son, here is the topic your teacher will test you on. Learn this topic well today and you will do well in the exam." The student, as I witnessed, studied only that and learned the topic . Several colleagues took the exam before him and the professor only examined that topic. Colleagues fell one after the other, and it was the student's turn who asked Father Antic to help him. He learned so well that the professor himself was surprised and admired what he had learned. At the end, he called all the other students and asked them to sit down: "Now, Ivan ( John in english), show the others how to answer and study for the exam." Ivan got the highest grade on the exam, and the professor repeated: "Gentlemen, this is how you study for the exam." Father Antić knew how to help students, he did not teach them to be lazy, but to study and pray. Fra Vladimir Tadić 1997
Humility Brother Ante hid his face with his hands every time he was publicly praised. This scene could be seen regularly during the celebrations of his name day. The main congratulator was enumerating the virtues and qualities of Father Antić, and during that time he would hide his face with his hands. It was obvious that he felt reluctant. It was physically unbearable for him. It was between the two World Wars in Makarska, the old provincial stepped down and the new provincial stepped in. A little before 12 o'clock before the festive lunch, Father Antić prayed in the chapel. The young Franciscan L. watched Father Antić with wide eyes. He had never seen him behave so strangely before. He was trembling all over, rubbing his forehead nervously with his hands, the same behavior in the hallway as in the dining room. "I had the impression that he was beset by some difficult trial, some great temptation," recounts the young Franciscan. "During lunch, it became clear to me what it was all about. The provincial who stepped down from his service gave a farewell speech. In that speech, he also addressed the new provincial and said to him: "And for the education of young Franciscans, you don't need to be afraid. Their Franciscan educator Antić is an exemplary monk and holy man. Our youth is in safe hands." I watched Father Antić. He bent down, hunched over and rested his head on the table. He was dying inside. Then his behavior in the chapel, corridor and dining room became clear to me. He received a vision of being publicly praised and resisted the attack of arrogance. " father Ante Katalinić Split 1967
This next testimony is quite well-known and supported by a lot of evidence, here it is confirmed by a famous doctor some 50 years later. In 1943/44 he was in the monastery because he was preparing to become a Franciscan, but later he chose a medical career. 10) The bomb did not explode I remember well that many of us in Makarska considered Father Antić a saint. Father Antić was truly a saint. When I say this, I remember an event that happened at the end of 1943 or the beginning of 1944, that is, during the war. We were lying in the old part of the monastery, it was around midnight and suddenly a bomb exploded above my room. I jumped out of bed, took my habit, quickly went down the stairs and ran outside. When I got down to the floor below, I heard another loud bang and a loud explosion, but it wasn't as loud as the first one and I thought it had fallen a little further at the other end of the monastery or even further away. We went down the stairs because we thought we would be safer and we wondered where Father Antić was. When we calmed down a bit, I went upstairs and had something to see. The bomb hit above the top of the roof of the monastery and fell right into Father Antić's room, hit the wall and bounced off into another part of the room. Father Antić was in the room, and the bomb did not explode. We young Franciscans said then that it was really God's grace towards Father Antić. It immediately spread among the people and a legend was created that she fell right in front of Father Antić, he blessed her and bypassed her. He always had the grace of God. That's how I and my colleagues looked at him at that time, at that time of bombs, bombings and heavy explosions, of which there were many, we saw Father Antić as a saint and as a mercy of God. Ph.D. Šime Stipaničev 1993 ** note: The fact that Split, Makarska and the surrounding area was bombed 44 times by the allies (Americans) at the invitation of the partisans (communists) also shows that the bombing was terrifying, because there were Germans in the city. Only on December 5, 1943, 216 bombs weighing 500 pounds (227 kg) were dropped by 448 squadron with as many as 36 aircraft. Then, in Kaštel Sućurac, a town of 2,200 inhabitants, a bomb fell on the church when mass began. At the same moment, all the people present at the mass (65) in the church died and another 32 around the Church of St. Jurja, which was completely destroyed. The priest Don Rubignoni also died. The historical museums in US was also asked about all this. Alabama Air Force Historical Archives, USA. They received an answer, in which the Americans admitted that they had bombed the Split area and its surroundings that day. According to the war diary 446. am. bomber squadrons, on December 5, 1943, 36 aircraft dropped a total of 216 bombs, each weighing 500 pounds, on Sućurac, Solin and Split. However, instead of the factory, 3 kilometers away, bombs were thrown at churches, and to this day it is not known who changed the location of the attack. Over 620 civilians and 27 soldiers died in those attacks... Church before and after attack Don Ante Rubignoni who died during bombing at mass
