St. Anthony of Pauda

Anthony of Padua was born in Portugal in 1195, but his life's work was in Italy. At the age of fifteen Anthony joined the Augustinians. When he met a group of Franciscans who were subsequently martyred in Morocco, Anthony became a Franciscan. He, too, hoped to be a martyr. He traveled to Morocco to carry on the work of the murdered friars, but had to return because he was ill. On his way back to Portugal, his ship was blown off course and he ended up in Sicily. Anthony went north to Assisi and met Saint Francis himself.

From Assisi Anthony was sent to live quietly at the Hermitage of San Paolo. When he preached an outstanding sermon at an ordination ceremony, his superiors discovered his astounding oratorical skills. Soon, Anthony was preaching to thousands of people and is still considered to have been one of the greatest preachers of all time. He died in 1231 at the age of thirty-six. Noted by his contemporaries for his forceful preaching and expert knowledge of Scripture, he was declared a saint almost immediately after his death and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1946.

Tradition has it that when St. Anthony found he was preaching the true Gospel to heretics who would not listen to him, he then went out and preached it to the fishes. This was not, for the instruction of the fishes, but rather for the glory of God, the delight of the angels, and the easing of his own heart. St. Anthony wanted to profess the Gospel with his mind and his heart, at every moment.

Anthony of Padua is known as the patron saint of lost articles. Courtesy of MethodX