Procession in honor of St Anthony

A igreja de Santo António é uma das mais antigas de Macau e a devoção e procissão remonta a tempos muitos antigos. 

Vejam-se estes dois relatos. O primeiro é de Fitch Waterman Taylor (1803-1865) que presenciou uma procissão no território em Junho de 1839:

"The procession in honor of St Anthony was not dissimilar to that of Corpus Christi though less imposing. Instead of the Host, the image of St Anthony, who is the patron saint of the kingdom, was borne in procession. I was particularly well situated for witnessing this procession as I occupied a position on the turret overlooking the square within which the procession moved to the strains of martial music and followed by the various orders of the brotherhoods. The figure of St Anthony himself was a small statue wreathed with a garland of the sweet little malati flowers and his car decorated with tinsel. 

The silver cross and other emblems were borne in procession. It will appear a curious particular to those not familiar in their associations with the peculiarities of Catholic worshippers and system of saints that, this said St Anthony considered the protector of Macao, as he is of the kingdom of Portugal, is declared by authentic documents to have been enlisted as a soldier in 1725 and in 1783 he obtained the rank of captain.

On the eve of the procession the amount of a captain's annual pay is sent by the senate to the curate which is used for the expenses for celebrating worship and preserving the edifice and utensils in neatness for the service of the patron's church."

Procissão de Santo António (frente à igreja) no séc. 20

Em 1836 no livro "An Historical Sketch of the Portuguese Settlements in China" o sueco Anders Ljungstedt também se refere à procissão:

"Whether the first settlers at Macao entrusted to St Anthony at Lisbon during the celebration of his feast which lasts thirteen days the government of the town depends, it seems, on the uncertainty of traditional rumors that he was in 1725 enlisted as a soldier and got in 1783 the rank of captain, is proved by existing documents.

His procession is of a military cast. The Image accompanied as late as 1833 by the clergy, the governor, nobility, the battalion and common people was carried in a litter by four officers and every morning for thirteen days a body of soldiers waited at his church to fire a salute. On the eve of the procession the Senate sends 240 taels the annual pay of a captain which sum the curate uses for the support of neatness de cency and grace in the divine service.

St Anthony is a favorite Saint principally with the sailor population. At times the devotee falls on his knees worships and solicits the potent intercession of his Saint but no sooner does the claimant fancy that the request has been either slighted or the favour provokingly postponed than the image is taken from the shelf upbraided beaten ill used likewise no soon er does the supplicant presume that the Saint has granted his protection than the darling of the petitioner's heart is caress ed and adored tapers and incense burned before the image."