Feast of St. Anthony of Padua
The Feast of St. Anthony of Padua is an important celebration for Roman Catholics, observed annually on June 13. This feast honors St. Anthony, a renowned saint born in Lisbon, Portugal, around August 15, 1195, who is often depicted with the child Jesus and a lily. After joining the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, Anthony’s life took a transformative turn when he encountered Franciscan missionaries. Motivated by their martyrdom, he joined the Franciscan order and sought to become a missionary himself, although ill health redirected his journey to Italy.
St. Anthony became a prominent preacher known for his eloquence and deep understanding of scripture. His sermons attracted large crowds, particularly during his time in Padua, where he died on June 13, 1231, at the age of 35. He was canonized just a year later and recognized as a Doctor of the Church in 1946 for his influential preaching. The feast day is widely celebrated, particularly in Italian American communities, and many churches bear his name, reflecting his enduring legacy within the Catholic Church.
Feast of St. Anthony of Padua
The Feast of St. Anthony of Padua is celebrated by Roman Catholics on June 13. Statues and pictures of St. Anthony usually show him carrying the child Jesus in his arms and holding a lily.
Anthony was born in Lisbon, Portugal, around August 15, 1195. After 1211 his father, a knight, served Portuguese King Alfonso II. When he was fifteen, Ferdinand, as he had been christened, entered the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, a religious order in Lisbon. Two years later, he was transferred to the Augustinian monastery at Coimbra.
At Coimbra, the Augustinians had an excellent school of biblical studies, and for eight years Anthony immersed himself in the history, language, and interpretation of scripture. He was made guest-master of the house at Coimbra, caring for the needs of travelers and guests. His life was changed abruptly by one group of these guests. They were five Franciscan friars who were en route to Morocco as missionaries. Shortly after they arrived in Morocco, the five Franciscans were murdered and their remains were returned to Coimbra for burial. Although he had known them only briefly, Anthony was deeply shocked by their deaths and could not keep his mind on his studies. He decided that he too would join the Franciscans and go to Morocco, knowing that he risked a martyr's death.
Although Anthony was successful in getting to Morocco as a Franciscan, poor health struck him shortly after he landed there and his superiors ordered him home. The ship that was supposed to carry him back to Portugal, however, was blown off course by a storm and Anthony landed at Messina in Sicily in about 1220 to 1221. He probably accepted this as God's will inasmuch as Italy was the home of St. Francis of Assisi, who had founded the Franciscan order. Anthony reported to his Franciscan superiors in Italy and was sent to a hospice in Forli, where he did menial chores. His superiors there were not aware of his great learning or his ability as a preacher and, but for an accident, they might never have known.
The discovery took place when a large group of important clergy and laymen were gathered for an ordination ceremony at Forli and the invited speaker did not appear. None of the Franciscans volunteered to step in, and the superior abruptly called on Anthony to preach. The sophisticated and learned audience was stunned by this unknown friar's mastery of scripture, his charm, and his preaching talents. From that time on, Anthony was assigned as preacher to all of Italy. With his Franciscan companions he traveled from town to town and drew crowds so large that town squares could not hold them.
Anthony gave his last sermon during Lent in Padua, which was literally invaded for the occasion. Neither food nor accommodations for the crowd could be found, but the people kept coming. After this, the weary and sick Anthony was invited to rest at the estate of a friend outside the city. While they were walking on the grounds there, his companions saw a large tree whose branches could be formed into a roof, and they made a rustic shelter there for Anthony, appropriate for the Franciscan way of life. On June 13, 1231, as he rested under this tree, Anthony had a premonition of his own death. Not wishing to inconvenience his host, he asked his companions to take him back to the monastery at Padua. They put him in an ox cart and began the hot, dusty journey towards the city. Before they reached there, however, Anthony's condition worsened and they stopped instead at a convent in Arcella, where they propped him up in a sitting position to ease his discomfort. Although he was having great trouble breathing, he began to sing a hymn and with the words still on his lips, he died. He was not quite thirty-six years old.
Anthony was canonized within a year after his death, on May 30, 1232, by Pope Gregory IX. The pope also declared him a Teacher of the Church. Anthony also received the title of Confessor, accorded to saints who have lived lives of outstanding sanctity and heroic virtue but who have not been martyred. On January 16, 1946, Pope Pius XII declared Anthony a doctor of the church with the title Doctor Evangelicus in honor of his great preaching ability. Many churches in the United States are named for St. Anthony of Padua, especially in Italian American communities.
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"St. Anthony of Padua." Catholic News Agency, 2024, www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-anthony-of-padua-505. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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