Mark Iovino, a benefactor of the Companions of St. Anthony from the Archdiocese of Atlanta, has a very special purpose for his devotion to St. Anthony.
His passion for our beloved saint was inherited from his father, Anthony, who experienced a miracle at the age of four when St. Anthony, with the Christ child in his arms, appeared to him. At the time, Anthony was on his deathbed, but experienced a miraculous cure. He would go on to become a proud veteran of the U.S. Air Force, raise a family with his dear wife Emilia, with three children and four grandchildren. He lived to the age of 90, before passing in 2022 in Sandy Springs, Georgia, miraculously, on June 13th, St. Anthony’s Feast Day.
“When my sisters and I were teenagers, our parents took us to the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua,” said Mark. “We discovered dozens of letters (with photographs) around the altar written by people who had also been saved by St. Anthony who appeared to them in dire situations.”
Since then, Mark has always wondered why there is not more known about the modern-day miracles of St. Anthony. “If the world had an opportunity to know about these events, it could both strengthen their faith and draw more people to Catholicism,” he added.
With this in mind, Mark made a generous gift to the Companions of St. Anthony for the purchase and installation of a shadow box display near the chapel at the Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City, Maryland. The display houses letters from others who have experienced miracles through the intercession of St. Anthony. He hopes to create greater awareness of these events and bring more people to Christ.
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