Antonio Tomičić was born on March 23, 1901, in the village of Razbojine, Croatia, to a large Catholic family. He grew in his faith during his childhood and entered the Capuchin order on June 26, 1919.
Eventually he was transferred to Dubrovnik, where he became the community’s “beggar,” going around the community asking for food and donations. He then moved to Varaždin and was assigned the duty of porter.
According to his Vatican biography, while there he “witnessed the searches and harassment carried out by the established communist regime.“
Furthermore, “After the advent of communism, [wearing] religious signs in public often provoked mockery and hostility, but he never [put] away his habit,publicly suffering insults. He faced daily difficulties with fortitude and trust in the Lord, moved by an unshakable hope that God brings to completion all His works, because everything is in His hands.”
In many ways his life became an echo to other famous porters, as he was a source of spiritual refreshment for many people in the area.
He died on November 25, 1981, and was highly regarded by many for his holiness.
The cause for his canonization began in 2005 and the Vatican recognized his “heroic virtues,” naming him “venerable” on March 14, 2024.
And today we celebrate...