Feast of St. Anthony 2023: Date, History, Facts about St. Anthony

The Feast of St. Anthony is celebrated annually on June 13 to commemorate the life and accomplishments of St. Anthony of Padua, a friar who accomplished much in his brief lifetime. He was revered by his contemporaries for his eloquent preaching, vast biblical knowledge, and unending love and devotion to the impoverished and sick. They made him one of the quickest saints to be canonised in church history. Through Portuguese evangelization, his fame spread and he became the patron saint of Lisbon, Padua, and numerous other Portuguese cities. As the patron saint of the recovery of lost items, St. Anthony is revered and invoked all over the globe. He is credited with performing a number of miracles involving lost individuals, objects, and even spiritual products.

The background of Feast of St. Anthony

Saint Anthony of Padua was born on August 15, 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal to a wealthy and prominent family named Fernando Martins de Bulhes. Martin de Bouillon was a descendant of Godfrey de Bouillon, commander of the First Crusade, while Theresa Tavejra was a descendant of Froila I, the fourth monarch of Asturia.

Anthony was educated close to his home at the Cathedral School of Saint Mary, where his professors suggested he become a knight at the king’s court. However, his father believed that Anthony was more suited to intellectual pursuits and wished for him to help oversee the family estate and become a nobleman. Anthony joined the Canons Regular of St. Augustine at age 15 and entered St. Vincent’s convent in Lisbon in 1210, much to his father’s chagrin. Anthony quickly requested a transfer to the Holy Cross Monastery in Coimbra, where he studied theology for eight years and was subsequently ordained a priest. During this time, he befriended numerous friars who followed Francis of Assisi, who founded an order of friars and preached to non-believers while travelling extensively.

In 1220, he entered the Franciscan order after being inspired by the martyrdom of five Franciscans in Morocco. Likewise, he desired to preach to Muslims and be martyred. On the way to Morocco, he fell gravely ill and was compelled to return home, but his ship was blown off course and landed in Sicily. Due to his deteriorating health, he was prohibited from engaging in missionary activity. Instead, he taught theology in Bologna, Italy, and in the southern French cities of Montpellier, Toulouse, and Puy-en-Velay. As a preacher, he was renowned for his straightforward yet profound presentation of the Catholic faith. 13 June 1231: He died on his way to Padua, Italy.

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5 Remarkable St. Anthony Facts

St. Anthony was once observed preaching to fish in Rimini, much to the surprise of non-believers; however, a large crowd of fish quickly congregated to hear him.

In Portugal, Spain, and Brazil, he is venerated as a marriage saint because legends attribute him with reconciling couples.

Every year on the weekend of the last Sunday in August, the North End of Boston celebrates Saint Anthony with the “Feast of All Feasts.”

St. Anthony’s fame spread with Portuguese evangelization, and he is recognised as Francis of Assisi’s most celebrated disciple.

According to legend, nonbelievers poisoned St. Anthony’s food and challenged him to consume it anyway, which he did after blessing it and emerging unharmed.

FEAST OF ST. ANTHONY DATES