St. Anthony of Padua

St. Anthony of Padua was born in 1195 in Lisbon, Spain. His parents were members of Portuguese nobility. He entered the religious order of St. Augustine at a very young age and began an intensive study of Augustinian theology. He had an excellent memory and gained extraordinary knowledge of the Bible during his studies. He was probably ordained during this time. Anthony was so impressed with the acts of bravery exhibited by the Franciscan martyrs of his time that he requested permission to join the Franciscan order and “gain the crown of the holy martyrs.” He was admitted to the Franciscan order in 1221. He took the name Anthony after the patron of the local church.

He returned to Messina from Morocco due to illness and looked forward to a life of contemplation and seclusion. However, he was pressed into delivering a sermon at a meeting he attended and the congregation was so impressed with is knowledge that he was commissioned to be a public speaker.

Anthony spent much of his time in Padua preaching and writing and often delivered sermons to crowds reaching thirty thousand. He preached his last Lenten Sermon in Padua and died at the age of thirty-six.

Pope Gregory IX declared him a saint the year following his death after hearing of the many miracles that occurred at his tomb. Years later during exhumation, his tongue was found to be perfect condition although his body was not. His tongue is in view at the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua as a reminder of his piety and his ability to preach the word of God.

St. Anthony – Finder of Lost Things

The practice of asking St. Anthony to find lost objects stems from a traditional story passed down from generation to generation. Anthony had a handwritten book of psalms from which he taught the Franciscans. The book was taken by a novice who subsequently left the order. Anthony prayed that the book would be returned to him and the former novice eventually rejoined the order.