THIS IS WHAT THE LORD
ASKS OF YOU;
ONLY THIS,
TO ACT JUSTLY,
TO LOVE TENDERLY,
AND TO WALK HUMBLY
WITH YOUR GOD.

      Micah 6:8

Anthony of Padua
Born in 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal, the future Saint Anthony of Padua was the son of a knight at the court of King Alfonso II.  He studied as a youth under the priests of the Lisbon cathedral and was ordained.   He joined the Franciscans in 1221.

His sermons, noted for their eloquence, spirit, and persuasiveness, attracted huge crowds everywhere he preached.  His success in reconciling persons alienated from the Church and as a confessor was phenomenal.

He settled in Padua, Italy after 1226, and worked to abolish debtors’ prisons, helped the poor, and worked ceaselessly and untiringly to teach Catholic faith.

He died in 1231 at the age of thirty-six.  He was canonized a saint the following year and declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1946.

Stories of miracles wrought through his intercessions and of his preaching prowess are legendary.  He is known as the “Wonder Worker.”  He is the patron of the poor and oppressed and is widely invoked for the return of lost articles.  He is often depicted in art with the Infant Jesus in his arms.

© 2008 Saint Anthony Catholic Church,
Fort Lauderdale, Florida