One thing is clear: saints are extraordinary people. But among the saints, Anthony of Padua is particularly outstanding. At times, the Franciscan was even more revered than the founder of his order, Francis of Assisi. Just eleven months after his death, Antonius was honored by the altars after the fastest canonization process in history. He is one of the doctors of the church, even though he hardly writes coherently. But first things first:

Anthony of Padua was born Fernão Martins de Bulhoes in Lisbon, probably around 1195. He came from a wealthy noble family and received a good religious education before joining the Augustinian canons in 1212. As a young priest in Coimbra in 1220, he was deeply impressed by the testimony of five Franciscan missionaries murdered in Morocco. In the same year he became a Franciscan, took the name Antonius –after the desert father and hermit– and set off for Morocco. In Africa, however, he became so seriously ill that he was confined to bed for months and ultimately had to return to Europe without having accomplished anything.

On the way to Portugal, Antony ended up in Sicily due to a storm. So he came to Assisi, where the second general chapter of his order was currently meeting. He could finally meet Francis (1181/82-1226) here. The brothers noticed Antony’s extraordinary gift for speech, and he became a preacher in northern Italy. He soon became so popular that the churches were overcrowded and had to preach in meadows and large squares. He was supposed to preach against the heresies of the Cathars, Albigensians, and Waldensians with his sharp tongue. Antonius probably did this in his unique way: What is striking in the surviving drafts of his sermons (“Sermons”) is that there are no arguments or polemics against heretics there. Instead, he used vivid images to explain the truths of his faith and issued general warnings in his enchanting sermons.

Director of studies and preacher of repentance

Francis of Assisi appointed Anthony as the theological teacher to the Franciscans in 1224, which meant he ended up at the University of Bologna for a year. He then set off on a preaching trip to southern France, where he stayed until 1227. After his return to northern Italy, Antonius worked for another three years as a provincial order in Padua, preacher of penance, and director of studies. Weakened and emaciated by his tasks and travels, he withdrew to an estate near Padua in 1230. He had an airy seat made in the crown of a walnut tree, and Poor Clares cared for him. He also died with the monastery women of Arcella on the 13th of June 1231, just 36 years old.

For example, legends developed around him during Antony’s lifetime about his preaching in Rimini on the Adriatic coast. There, the residents didn’t want to listen to the preacher until they noticed that he was preaching to the fish in the sea, and they were listening to his words. A businessman who has no arguments for the Real presence of Christ, wanting to listen to bread and wine, he demonstratively fed his donkey during a procession. This citizen was also converted when the beast knelt before the Holy of Holies and bowed his head. The fish sermon became a popular image in art by the 16th century. The century was somewhat suppressed by depictions of the saint with the baby Jesus or a lily (as a sign of purity). The depictions of Jesus also go back to a legend: a host count is said to have found the saint at night with the beaming baby Jesus in his arms.

In many countries, Saint Anthony is invoked to find lost things. Legend has it that a novice who wanted to leave the order stole the Psalter of Anthony as a “memorial piece. On the way from Padua, he saw a terrible apparition and returned the book. The name “Schlampertoni” developed in Bavaria because of the patron saint of lost things. Antonius is more likely to be called to find a spouse in the Spanish-speaking world. For several years, single pilgrimages to Padua have been offered for this purpose.