New Icon commissioned for St. Anthony Foundation’s 75th anniversary

By Catholic San Francisco

As part of its 75th anniversary celebration, the St. Anthony Foundation in San Francisco commissioned a unique icon of St. Anthony of Padua, which will be blessed on Friday, June 13, the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, during the Foundation’s anniversary Mass.

The icon is a powerful visual meditation on the saint’s legacy of compassion and service to the poor, while also providing a message of hope. It depicts St. Anthony offering bread—both physical and spiritual—extending his hand beyond the heavenly frame of the icon to those in need.

At the heart of the image are three loaves of bread, representing the Holy Trinity. Each loaf represents one Person of the Trinity: one score for the Father, two for the Son, and three for the Spirit. In the center is the Son, who is broken, and St. Anthony’s left hand shares this broken piece, our spiritual food, the bread of the Eucharist. Also, hidden within each loaf is a traditional symbol representing each Person, the triangle, the cross and the dove.

At the bottom of the icon are four fish, each uniquely colored and patterned to reflect the border tiles. The fish carry multiple layers of symbolism: they represent the guests coming to Christ. They recall the fish who listened to St. Anthony preaching when no one else would. They represent us, all moving toward Christ our Savior and our spiritual nourishment. Finally, they remind us of scripture’s loaves and fish, Christ’s food of grace and mercy never running out.

More than a sacred image, the icon is a theological statement about hope—hope grounded in God’s love, lived through service, and shared through the Eucharist. As the Foundation continues its mission to serve the poor and marginalized, the icon serves as both a spiritual window and a call to action.

St. Anthony, pray for us.