Anthony of Padua, Saint

Anthony of Padua, Saint, 1195–1231, Portuguese Franciscan, Doctor of the Church, b. Lisbon. He was renowned for his eloquence. According to tradition, in a vision he received the child Jesus in his arms and is usually thus represented in art. He was known as a preacher and for his holy life and was canonized the year after he died in Padua. Anthony has a reputation as a miracle worker and is popularly invoked to find lost articles. Feast: June 13.

Bibliography

See biography by M. Purcell (1960).

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Anthony of Padua, Saint

(born 1195, Lisbon, Port.—died June 13, 1231, Arcella, Verona; canonized 1232; feast day June 13) Franciscan friar, Doctor of the Church, and patron saint of Portugal. He joined the Augustinian order in 1210 and was probably ordained a priest. He joined the Franciscans in 1220 with the goal of seeking martyrdom among the Muslims but instead became a teacher of theology in Bologna, Italy, and in southern France. The most beloved of the followers of St. Francis, he was known as a great preacher and miracle worker. He was buried in Padua, Italy, and he is the patron of that city. He is also invoked for the return of lost property.