Anthony of Padua

Anthony of Padua For the Italian film, see Anthony of Padua (film). For 1.1 Early years others known as Saint Anthony, see Saint Anthony. Fernando Martins was born in Lisbon, Portugal.[2] While Saint Anthony of Padua (Portuguese: Santo Antó- fifteenth century writers state that his parents were Vi- nio), (born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 1195 – 13 cente Martins and Teresa Pais Taveira, and that his fa- June 1231),[1] also known as Anthony of Lisbon, was ther was the brother of Pedro Martins de Bulhões, the an- cestor of the Bulhão or Bulhões family, Niccolò Dal-Gal a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Francis- [2] can Order. He was born and raised by a wealthy fam- views this as less certain. His wealthy and noble family in Lisbon, Portugal, and died in Padua, Italy. Noted ily arranged for him to be instructed at the local cathedral by his contemporaries for his forceful preaching, expert school. At the age of fifteen, he entered the community of knowledge of scripture, and undying love and devotion Canons Regular at the Augustinian Abbey of Saint Vin- to the poor and the sick, he was the second-most-quickly cent on the outskirts of Lisbon. canonized saint after Peter of Verona. He was proclaimed In 1212, distracted by frequent visits from family and a Doctor of the Church on 16 January 1946. He is also friends, he asked to be transferred to the motherhouse of the patron saint of finding things or lost people. the congregation, the Abbey of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, then the capital of Portugal.[3] There the young Fernando studied theology and Latin. 1 Life 1.2 Joining the Franciscans In Alvise Vivarini's painting, Anthony is distinguished from the others saints by his attributes, the book and the white lily stalk After his ordination to the priesthood, Fernando was named guestmaster and placed in charge of hospitality for the abbey. While he was in Coimbra, some Francis- can friars arrived and settled at a small hermitage outside Coimbra dedicated to Saint Anthony of Egypt.[3] Fer- nando was strongly attracted to the simple, evangelical Church of Saint Anthony, in Lisbon, Portugal, the birthplace of lifestyle of the friars, whose order had been founded only Saint Anthony of Padua. eleven years prior. News arrived that five Franciscans had been beheaded in Morocco, the first of their order to be 1 2 1 LIFE killed. King Afonso ransomed their bodies to be returned Franciscan would be the homilist. In this quandary, the and buried as martyrs in the Abbey of Santa Cruz.[3] In- head of the hermitage, who had no one among his own spired by their example, Fernando obtained permission humble friars suitable for the occasion, called upon An- from church authorities to leave the Canons Regular to thony, whom he suspected was most qualified, and en- join the new Franciscan Order. Upon his admission to treated him to speak whatever the Holy Spirit should put the life of the friars, he joined the small hermitage in into his mouth.[5] Anthony objected but was overruled, Olivais, adopting the name Anthony (from the name of and his sermon created a deep impression. Not only his the chapel located there, dedicated to Saint Anthony the rich voice and arresting manner, but the entire theme and Great), by which he was to be known.[4] substance of his discourse and his moving eloquence, held Anthony then set out for Morocco, in fulfillment of his the attention of his hearers. Everyone was impressed with his knowledge of Scripture, acquired during his years as new vocation. However, he fell seriously ill in Morocco and set sail back for Portugal in hope of regaining his an Augustinian friar. health. On the return voyage the ship was blown off At that point, Anthony was sent by Brother Gratian, the course and landed in Sicily.[5] local Minister Provincial, to the Franciscan province of [5] From Sicily he made his way to Tuscany where he was Romagna, based in Bologna. He soon came to the at- assigned to a convent of the order, but he met with dif- tention of the founder of the order, Francis of Assisi. ficulty on account of his sickly appearance. He was fi- Francis had held a strong distrust of the place of theo- nally assigned to the rural hermitage of San Paolo near logical studies in the life of his brotherhood, fearing that Forlì, Romagna, a choice made after considering his poor it might lead to an abandonment of their commitment to health. There he had recourse to a cell one of the fri- a life of real poverty. In Anthony, however, he found a ars had made in a nearby cave, spending time in private kindred spirit for his vision, who was also able to provide prayer and study.[6] the teaching needed by young members of the order who might seek ordination. In 1224 he entrusted the pursuit of studies for any of his friars to the care of Anthony. 1.3 Preaching and teaching The reason St. Anthony’s help is invoked for finding things lost or stolen is traced to an incident that occurred in Bologna. According to the story, Anthony had a book of psalms that was of some importance to him as it contained the notes and comments he had made to use in teaching his students. A novice who had decided to leave took the psalter with him. Prior to the invention of the printing press, any book was an item of value. Upon noticing it was missing, Anthony prayed it would be found or returned. The thief was moved to restore the book to Anthony and return to the Order. The stolen book is said to be preserved in the Franciscan friary in Bologna.[7] Occasionally he took another post, as a teacher, for in- stance, at the universities of Montpellier and Toulouse in southern France, but it was as a preacher that An- thony revealed his supreme gift. According to historian Sophronius Clasen, Anthony preached the grandeur of Christianity.[6] His method included allegory and symbol- ical explanation of Scripture. In 1226, after attending the General Chapter of his order held at Arles, France, and preaching in the French region of Provence, Anthony returned to Italy and was appointed provincial superior of northern Italy. He chose the city of Padua as his location. Saint Anthony of Padua Holding Baby Jesus by Strozzi, c. 1625; In 1228 he served as envoy from the general chapter to the white lily represents purity Pope Gregory IX. At the Papal court, his preaching was hailed as a “jewel case of the Bible” and he was commis- One day, in 1222, in the town of Forli, on the occasion sioned to produce his collection of sermons, Sermons for of an ordination, a number of visiting Dominican friars Feast Days (Sermones in Festivitates). Gregory IX himself were present, and there was some misunderstanding over described him as the “Ark of the Testament”[8] (Doctor who should preach. The Franciscans naturally expected Arca testamenti). that one of the Dominicans would occupy the pulpit, for they were renowned for their preaching; the Dominicans, on the other hand, had come unprepared, thinking that a 3 Anthony of Padua with the Infant Jesus by Antonio de Pereda, detail part of Padua), aged 35. According to the request of Anthony, he was buried in the small church of Santa Maria Mater Domini, probably dat- ing from the late 12th century and near a convent which had been founded by him in 1229. Nevertheless, due to his increased notability, construction of a large Basilica began around 1232 - although it was not completed until 1301. The smaller church was incorporated into struc- ture as the Cappella della Madonna Mora (Chapel of the Dark Madonna). The basilica is commonly known today as “Il Santo”. Various legends surround the death of Anthony. One holds that when he died, the children cried in the streets and that all the bells of the churches rang of their own accord. Another legend regards his tongue. Anthony is buried in a chapel within the large basilica built to honor him, where his tongue is displayed for veneration in a large reliquary along with his jaw and his vocal cords. When his body was exhumed thirty years after his death, it was found turned to dust, but the tongue was claimed to have glistened and looked as if it was still alive and moist; apparently a further claim was made that this was a sign of his gift of preaching.[9] On 1 January 1981 Pope John St Anthony holding Baby Jesus Paul II authorized a scientific team to study the saint’s re- mains and the tomb was opened on 6 January.[10] 1.4 Death 2 Saint and Doctor of the Church Anthony became sick with ergotism, a disease which is now known also under the name “Saint Anthony’s Fire”, and, in 1231, went to the woodland retreat at Anthony was canonized by Pope Gregory IX on 30 May 1232, at Spoleto, Italy, less than one year after his Camposampiero with two other friars for a respite. There [2] he lived in a cell built for him under the branches of a wal- death. nut tree. Anthony died on the way back to Padua on 13 “The richness of spiritual teaching contained in the Ser- June 1231 at the Poor Clare monastery at Arcella (now mons was so great that in [16 January] 1946 Venerable 4 3 VENERATION AS PATRON SAINT is credited with many miracles involving lost people, lost things and even lost spiritual goods.[12][13] 3.1 North America In 1691 Spanish missionaries came across a small Payaya Indian community along what was then known as the Yanaguana River on the feast day of Saint Anthony, 13 June.

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