Celebrating the Feast of
St. Antony of Padua
June 13, 2018
Companions Rejoice! Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua.
Not only is St. Anthony the namesake of the Companions of St. Anthony, he is among the most beloved saints of all time. Despite dying nearly 800 years ago, St. Anthony remains extremely relevant in our lives to this very day. This is because of his special devotion to the Infant Jesus and his continuing commitment to intercede for us when we petition him for help.
Born in Lisbon, Portugal as Fernando Martins, Anthony entered religious life and eventually became inspired by the practices of Franciscan Missionaries whom he encountered. He was attracted to their ministry, which featured a combination of prayerful devotion and a life of service, working among the people.
When those Friars were eventually martyred for their work, St. Anthony became even more drawn to their cause and received permission from his superiors to transfer to their order, where he took the name of the hermitage’s patron, Anthony.
The rest is, as they say, history. Anthony followed in Francis’ tradition and the two men were actually canonized just four years apart, with Francis of Assisi being proclaimed a Saint on July 16, 1228, just 20 months after his death. Anthony of Padua was canonized on May 30, 1232, less than a year after his passing.
On this Feast Day, we encourage you to pray to St. Anthony in Thanksgiving for all of the good he has done in your life, as well as in the lives of all who have sought his help. Further, if you are so inclined, please consider making a gift to the Companions of St. Anthony, by clicking on the Donate button below, to support the ministry of the Friars, in the tradition of St. Francis, who founded the Franciscan order centuries ago.
