St. Anthony of Padova is the name by which he is generally known.  He was only a young man when he died, and Padova was indeed his last home on earth.  His relics rest there today, honored by thousands every year in a basilica built in his honor .  Since his death, and by his intercession, countless miracles have been reported through more than seven centuries in all parts of the world.

But Padova in northern Italy was not his native city.  Anthony was born in Lisbon Portugal in 1195 on the feast of Mary's assumption, August 15th.  Being born in Lisbon, Portuguese  biographies call him "Anthony of Lisbon".  The fact is that neither the people of Italy or Portugal can claim him exclusively as their own.  St. Anthony is the saint of the whole world - a universal saint for  the universal church.

At the young age of 36, he died on June 13th, 1231 in the poor Clare Convent at Arcella near Padova, he died singing, like St. Francis - his final song, a hymn to Mary.  The following Tuesday, Anthony's remains were finally borne in a triumphal funeral procession to the friars church in Padova.    The day saw a marvelous manifestation of favors granted to all who called on the saint for his intercession.  As a result, Tuesday has become particularly associated with St. Anthony.   Down through the centuries, pilgrims to his tomb have gathered there on Tuesdays to pray for their needs.  Less then a year later on May 30th, 1232, he was canonized a saint.  When Anthony was transferred  to his basilica in 1263, his tongue was found intact.  Reverence for the Saint spread and has continued ever since.    In 1946, Pope Pius XII officially declared Anthony a "Doctor of the Universal Church".  Among the Franciscan themselves, and in the liturgy of his feast, St. Anthony is celebrated as a teacher and preacher extraordinary.

It is a long standing Christian tradition that the saints in heaven pray for us on earth and we in turn honor them for the great gifts God has given them and them for their help and prayers. 

We indeed have a special friend in St, Anthony of Padova.  A contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi, Anthony wanted to live for something beyond himself that would give meaning to his life.  As a young Augustian in Portugal, he was so inspired by the martyrdom of five Franciscan friars (Berard, Peter, Accursio, Aduito and Otto) in Morocco they asked the king to convert to the Christian faith as a result, the king put them to death by a sword on January 16, 1220.  The relics of the martyr friars were laid to rest in the Church of the Holy Cross in Coimbra where Fernando lived.  Inspired by the friars heroic deaths he became a Franciscan.  He joined their Olivais community in 1220 taking the name Anthony.  He soon became a well known preacher, proclaiming the gospel through France and Italy, where large crowds filled town squares and vast fields to hear his sermons.  Anthony was able to call people to a deeper faith because he himself  was a man of faith.  He never lost sight of the transcendent dimension of his own life which enabled others to see him the  transcendent dimension of their lives.  He was truly a living gospel to others.  And that's what makes St. Anthony of Padova a "wonder worker", a friend to all of us.

PREACHER OF GOD'S LOVE

St. Anthony is the Saint of the Whole World.  A universal saint for a universal Church.  Like Mother Teresa today, he was one who followed St. Francis as an instrument of peace and caring about people, especially the poor.

Devotion to St. Anthony and the Franciscans forms a part of life in nearly every land.  Visit a catholic church of any size and you will find a statue or stained glass window of St. Francis, St. Anthony or St. Clare, and a way to the cross, popularized the Franciscans.  People pray to St. Anthony about the troubles and challenges in their daily lives - especially to find things they have lost.   

An inscription at the baptistery in Se Patriarcal, the Cathedral in Lisbon where Anthony was baptized, reminds visitors:

"The whole world rejoice in his light, Padova in his body, heaven in his soul"

Saint Anthony's Bread

St. Anthony is today, as he was in his lifetime, the faithful friend  of all in trouble, especially the poor and the needy.  "St. Anthony's Bread" means that when a person prays to the Saint for a favor, he or she promises to give a gift ("bread") to the poor or some charitable cause.  This custom goes back to the year 1888.  At that time there lived in Toulon,  France, a devout young woman named Louise Bouffier, who managed a small bakery store.  One morning Louise couldn't open the door with her key.   Neither could a locksmith, who told her he would have to break the door open.  While he went to get his tools, Louise promised St. Anthony she would give some bread to the poor if the door could be opened without force.  When the locksmith returned, she begged him to try once more.  Sure enough, the door opened. 

Louise kept her promise and the poor received their bread.  From Toulon this custom of giving to poor in gratitude for favors received from God through St. Anthony's intercession has spread to all parts of the world.  Pope Leo XIII, in his letter of 1898 on the Thirteen Tuesdays, commended the practice of giving "St, Anthony's Bread" to the needy.

Saint Anthony's Lilies

Pictures and statues of St, Anthony often portray him holding a lily.  This beautiful flower has long been regarded as in Christian art as a symbol of integrity of life.  In many parts of the world, lilies are in bloom in the middle of June when the feast of St. Anthony is observed.  This custom is associated with an unusual event that took place on Corsica during the French Revolution.  Franciscans on the island had been forced to leave, but people continued to honor St. Anthony as the friars had taught them.  On his feast, bouquets of lilies were placed at the Saint's shrine  in the deserted church.

Many month's later, the lilies were found still fresh and white.  Permission to bless lilies in honor of St. Anthony was given by Pope Leo XIII.  "St. Anthony's oil" is obtained by pressing the lilies blessed by a priest.

Saint Anthony's Guide

Safe mail delivery:  A custom has been handed down of marking the letters "S.A.G." somewhere on a letter or package.  These initials stand for "St. Saint Anthony Guide".  This prayer dates to an incident in July 1729 in Spain.  A merchant's wife, in need of support from her husband on business in Peru placed a letter to him in the sleeve of  St. Anthony's statue in her parish church, trusting he would somehow deliver it.  

Returning to the statue the next day, she found not her own letter but one from her husband, Don Antonio.  Lodger in the sleeve was a heavy pouch containing 300 pesos, also sent by him.  The merchant advised  his wife that a letter from her had been delivered "by a friar of the Order of St. Francis."  Don Antonio was sending his reply through the same friar.  To this day, the merchant's letter is preserved in the church at Oviedo.

This story led to the custom of placing "S.A.G." on mail and praying that St. Anthony give it safe passage.

St. Anthony's Guild offers packets of stamps imprinted with S.A.G. and pictures of the Saint.  To request the stamps, write:

The Franciscans, St. Anthony's Guild

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