Who Is St. Anthony? Saint Anthony of Padua also known as Santo António de Pádua in Portuguese, was born Fernando Martins de Bulhões on 15 August 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal. He is also known as Saint Anthony of Lisbon and he was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order.
He was born as well as raised by a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, and died on 13 June 1231 in Padua, Italy. He is still very well known by his contemporaries for his influential preaching, proficient knowledge of scripture, as well as everlasting affection and devotion to the poor and the sick. He was considered to be one of the most quickly canonized saints in church history. He was also pronounced a Doctor of the Church on 16 January 1946 and is also the patron saint of lost things.
Pope Pius XII professed St. Anthony a Doctor of the Church on January 16, 1946. His apostolic letter started as follows: “Exult, happy Portugal, rejoice, happy Padua; for you have given birth for earth and Heaven to a shining star, a man who has illuminated and still dazzles with a radiant light the whole earth, not only by holiness of life and fame of miracles, but by the splendor of his celestial teaching.”
St. Anthony was born in Lisbon, Portugal and his parents which 15th-century writers state that were Vicente Martins and Teresa Pais Taveira.
His wealthy and decent family decided for him to be taught at the local cathedral school. When he was at the age of 15, he moved into the community of Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross at the Augustinian Abbey of Saint Vincent situated on the outskirts of Lisbon.
In the year 1212, distracted by numerous official visit from family and friends, he asked to be relocated to the motherhouse of the congregation, the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Coimbra, then it was the capital of Portugal. After shifting there, the young Fernando studied theology as well as Latin.
After two years he was sent to Coimbra, he started nine years of extremely concentrated study, learning the Augustinian theology that he would far ahead merge with the Franciscan vision. Fernando has perhaps intended a priest for the duration of this time.
A crucial turn took place in the life of the young priest when the bodies of the first five Franciscan martyrs were given back from Morocco. They had preached in the mosque in Seville, just about being martyred at the beginning, but the sultan permitted them to authorize on to Morocco, where, after on-going to preach Christ in spite of recurrent warnings, they were tortured and put to death. At that time, in the attendance of the queen and an enormous crowd, their remains were carried in solemn procession to Fernando’s monastery.
He was thrilled and encouraged to an important decision. He then went to the little friary in Coimbra and said, “Brother, I would gladly put on the habit of your Order if you would promise to send me as soon as possible to the land of the Saracens, that I may gain the crown of the holy martyrs.” After some challenges from the previous of the Augustinians, he was permitted to leave that monastery and get the Franciscan habit, taking the name Anthony.
Saint Anthony’s eminence spread through Portuguese evangelization, as well as he has been popular as the most celebrated of the followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. He is also the patron saint of Lisbon, Padua as well as numerous places in Portugal and in the nations of the prior Portuguese Empire.
He is particularly prayed and respected all over the world as the patron saint for the retrieval of lost items as well as is credited with a lot of miracles comprising lost people, lost things and even lost spiritual goods.
Saint Anthony is typically portrayed holding the child Jesus or a lily sometimes a book or else all the three in his arms. Many people give offerings to St. Anthony Bread in thanksgiving to God for blessings got through the prayers of St. Anthony.
Here is some of the prayer to St. Anthony asking for help in order to find missing items:
Saint Anthony, perfect imitator of Jesus, who received from God the special power of restoring lost things, grant that I may find (mention your petition) which has been lost. At least restore to me peace and tranquility of mind, the loss of which has afflicted me even more than my material loss.
To this favor, I ask another of you: that I may always remain in possession of the true good that is God. Let me rather lose all things than lose God, my supreme good. Let me never suffer the loss of my greatest treasure, eternal life with God. Amen.
Saint Anthony, great wonder-worker, intercede for us that God may grant us our request if it is for the good of our soul.
Saint Anthony, be our patron, our protector, and our advocate in life and in death.
Saint Anthony, attentive to those who invoke thee, grant us the aid of thy powerful intercession for the grace of holy purity, meekness, humility, obedience, the spirit of poverty, and perfect abandonment to the will of God.
Saint Anthony, servant of Mary, obtain for us greater devotion to the blessed Mother of God.
The beloved saint died at the age of 36 on June 13, 1231. Right before his death, he went to confession, where he sang a hymn to the Blessed Mother, and also was anointed; he was then asked, “Do you see anything?” to which he politely replied, “I see my Lord.” After he died, the children of Padua ran through the streets, crying and saying “The Holy Father is dead. St. Anthony is dead.”
