St. Anthony of Padua

Biography

St. Anthony (1195–1231) was born Fernando Martins de Bulhões in Lisbon, Portugal, to a noble family. He first joined the Augustinian Canons Regular before being inspired by the Franciscan missionaries martyred in Morocco to join the Order of Friars Minor. His extraordinary knowledge of Scripture and theology was discovered accidentally when he was asked to preach impromptu at an ordination — his brilliant sermon astonished everyone present. St. Francis himself appointed him as the first teacher of theology in the Franciscan order. Anthony preached throughout Italy and southern France, drawing enormous crowds and converting many — including numerous heretics who had resisted other preachers. He is especially invoked for the recovery of lost items, a tradition that began when a novice took his psalter (book of psalms) without permission, and after Anthony prayed, the novice felt an irresistible compulsion to return it. He died at Padua at age 35. His body was found incorrupt when his tomb was opened 30 years later, and his tongue was perfectly preserved — a sign of his gift of preaching. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX less than one year after his death — one of the fastest canonizations in history — and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1946.

Patronages

Symbols