(Alvise Vivarini, ca. 1480) (link)

Feast Day · June 13

Anthony of Padua

Patron ofLost Things, Poor, Travelers, Portugal

SituationsLost Items, Shipwrecks, Starvation

ProfessionsElderly, Mail Carriers

Why this patronage

Saint Anthony of Padua is invoked for lost things because of a story from his own life: a novice who had left the order ran off with Anthony’s prized psalter, full of his teaching notes. Anthony prayed for its return, and the legend holds the thief was seized with such dread that he brought the book back and rejoined the community. From this the friar became, for all of Christendom, the saint who finds what is lost. His care for the poor and hungry flows from his Franciscan life and his fame as a preacher to the destitute, which is why he is also patron of the poor and against starvation; the enduring custom of “St. Anthony’s Bread,” alms given to feed the hungry in thanks for his help, keeps that link alive. As a friar who travelled far to preach and once survived a storm at sea, he is likewise invoked by travellers and against shipwreck, and so too by mail carriers who entrust their journeys to him. A son of Lisbon, he remains one of the great patrons of Portugal.

Life

Saint Anthony of Padua was a Portuguese Franciscan friar and Doctor of the Church, renowned for his powerful preaching and devotion to the poor. Born Fernando Martins de Bulhões in Lisbon around 1195, he is one of the most quickly canonized saints in Church history.

Prayer

Responsory of Saint Anthony (Si Quaeris Miracula)

Si quaeris mirácula,

If then you ask for miracles,

Wenn du Wunder suchst,

Si buscas milagros,

Si tu cherches des miracles,

Se cerchi i miracoli,

mors, error, calámitas,

death, error, all calamities,

Tod, Irrtum, Unglück,

la muerte, el error, la calamidad,

la mort, l'erreur, la calamité,

la morte, l'errore, la sventura,

daemon, lepra fúgiunt,

the leprosy and demons fly,

Dämon und Aussatz fliehen,

el demonio y la lepra huyen,

le démon et la lèpre s'enfuient,

il demonio e la lebbra fuggono,

aegri surgunt sani.

and health succeeds infirmities.

Kranke stehen gesund auf.

los enfermos se levantan sanos.

les malades se lèvent guéris.

i malati si levano guariti.

Cedunt mare, víncula;

The sea obeys and fetters break,

Es weichen Meer und Fesseln;

Ceden el mar y las cadenas;

La mer et les chaînes cèdent ;

Cede il mare, si spezzano le catene;

membra resque pérditas

and lifeless limbs you do restore;

verlorene Glieder und Güter

los miembros y las cosas perdidas

les membres et les biens perdus,

le membra e le cose perdute

petunt et accípiunt

while treasures lost are found again,

erbitten und erhalten

las piden y las reciben

on les demande et on les obtient,

chiedono e ricevono

iúvenes et cani.

when young or old your aid implore.

Junge und Alte.

los jóvenes y los ancianos.

jeunes et vieillards.

i giovani e i vecchi.

Péreunt perícula,

All dangers vanish at your prayer,

Die Gefahren vergehen,

Desaparecen los peligros,

Les périls disparaissent,

Svaniscono i pericoli,

cessat et necéssitas;

and direst need doth quickly flee;

auch die Not hört auf;

cesa también la necesidad;

la détresse elle-même cesse ;

cessa anche il bisogno;

narrent hi qui séntiunt,

let those who know your power proclaim,

es sollen jene erzählen, die es erfahren,

que lo cuenten quienes lo han experimentado,

que le racontent ceux qui l'éprouvent,

lo raccontino quelli che l'hanno provato,

dicant Paduáni.

let Paduans say: these are of thee.

es sollen die Paduaner sagen.

que lo digan los paduanos.

que le disent les Padouans.

lo dicano i Padovani.