Anthony of Padua
A 13th-century preacher whose fiery sermons and reputed miracles made him one of the Catholic Church's most beloved saints, often invoked to find lost items.
1195–1231 (age 36)·Portuguese Catholic priest·Birthday: August 15
Biography
Born Fernando Martins de Bulhões into a wealthy Lisbon family, he traded a comfortable life for the austere robes of the Augustinian Canons, seeking a deeper spiritual rigor. His path shifted dramatically after encountering the first Franciscan friars martyred in Morocco; their witness inspired him to join the Franciscan order, taking the name Anthony. He hoped to preach and die as a martyr in North Africa, but illness forced him to Sicily. His profound learning remained hidden until a chance sermon revealed his dazzling scriptural knowledge and oratorical power. From then, he crisscrossed Italy and southern France, his compelling voice drawing massive crowds and, tradition holds, even the attention of fish when heretics would not listen. More than just a preacher, he was a formidable theologian for the young Franciscan order. His death at 36 sparked immediate veneration, and he was canonized less than a year later, his swift sainthood a testament to his powerful impact.
#1 When Anthony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1195
Anthony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1195Born
1200Started school
1208Became a teenager
1211Could drive
1213Could vote
1216Turned 21
1225Turned 30
1231Died at 36
Key Achievements
- Canonized as a saint by Pope Gregory IX in 1232, less than a year after his death, one of the fastest canonizations in Church history.
- Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1946 for the enduring theological depth of his sermons and writings.
- His recovered vocal cords and tongue are venerated as relics in Padua's Basilica, a site of major pilgrimage.
- Authored a series of sermon notes for feast days that became foundational texts for Franciscan preaching.
Did You Know?
He is the patron saint of lost and stolen items, a tradition stemming from a story where a novice took his psalter and was compelled by a terrifying apparition to return it.
Statues often depict him holding the child Jesus, referencing a vision witnessed by a benefactor.
His fame as a miracle-worker was so immediate that Pope Gregory IX called him the 'Ark of the Testament.'
Despite his association with Padua, Italy, he was Portuguese, born and raised in Lisbon.
“The saints are like the stars. In his providence Christ conceals them in a hidden place that they may not shine before others when they might wish to do so.”
