Today, June 13, is the memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua.
Doctor of the Church.
Fernando Martins de Bulhões was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal in 1195. Their dream for Anthony was to become a rich nobleman. However, Anthony was so devoted to Christ that he wanted to imitate Him in poverty.
When he became a member of the Canons Regular and was ordained a priest, a life-changing event happened. That time the remains of Saint Berard and his companions, the first Franciscan martyrs, were brought to be buried in his church. The saint was so moved that he sought permission to leave the Canons Regular to join the Friars Minor. He took the name Anthony in honor of St. Anthony of Egypt.
One day, he was sweeping in the monastery. A scheduled speaker did not show up. His panicky brothers rushed to him, convincing Anthony to be the speaker instead. Word got around of his superb preaching that soon he was constantly travelling to evangelize and teach theology.
Big crowds would attend his speaking engagements. He would speak in multiple tongues. Legend says that even the fish loved to listen. He was also known as a miracle worker.
His popular patronage for the recovery of lost objects comes from an incident in his life. A novice, who decided to leave the Order, took with him Anthony’s psalter. Anthony used that psalter as his teaching aid. So the friar prayed for his book to be found. Lo and behold, the ex-novice not only returned the psalter, he also returned to the Order. That same book, it is said, is kept by the Franciscans in Bologna.
He died of natural causes in 1231. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1232, just months after Anthony’s death. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1946.