Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua – June 13

He was originally from Portugal and his real name was Fernando. He took the name Anthony, inspired by Saint Anthony the Great from Egypt. He was born in Lisbon into a noble family. After having studied at university, he was made a canon. First, he joined the Augustinians but later left and joined the Franciscans.

Anthony of Padua is renowned as one of the greatest preachers of the Middle Ages. In art, he is represented as speaking with Saint Francis or holding the child Jesus or standing above one of his books. Anthony worked many miracles and cured many sick. One of the famous miracles is when he sought to bring back to the faith heretics from the town of Rimini, who did not want to listen to the Word of God. Anthony addressed them in his homily on the fish and thousands gathered around the saint to hear his words.

Moving in a special way is the story of the child who was found lifeless in his bed when his mother had gone out to hear one of Anthony's homilies. The desperate woman returned to the church, pleading for a miracle. Anthony calmed her, repeating three times the words: "The Lord will show you the goodness of His heart!" When she returned home she found her son playing.

From the time of his first homilies it became clear that no single church could contain all those wishing to hear the saint. According to the first hagiographers, the crowds included thirty thousand people. He began to go out into the public squares. Anthony spoke about God, he revealed sins and called for repentance and confession.

When he became very sick, he went to a monastery near Padua. He asked that a cell be constructed for him from old walnut wood and therein he spent the last days of his life. He died on June 13, 1231.

Read why Saint Anthony is the patron saint of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land: View and read