Who was St. Anthony of Padua?
St. Anthony of Padua was born Fernando Martins de Bulhões on August 15th 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal and died June 13th 1231 in Padua, Italy. He was a Portuguese Catholic priest and Franciscan Friar raised in a wealthy family known among his peers as a fervent preacher and expertise on scripture. He was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1946.
After being ordained as a priest, Fernando eventually joined the Franciscans and took the name of Anthony. He found the simple evangelical lifestyle of the friars compatible with his beliefs and upon joining them order, decided to evangelize in Morocco but was curtailed by illness. As he was sailing back to Portugal, his ship was blown off course and he ended up in Sicily. From there he traveled to Forli, Italy and eventually ended up meeting with the founder of the order, Francis of Assisi, to whom he entrusted the teaching of his friars.
Source: About St. Anthony (n.d.) In St. Anthony.org. Retrieved from http://www.stanthony.org/index.php/st-anthony-of-padua/
After being ordained as a priest, Fernando eventually joined the Franciscans and took the name of Anthony. He found the simple evangelical lifestyle of the friars compatible with his beliefs and upon joining them order, decided to evangelize in Morocco but was curtailed by illness. As he was sailing back to Portugal, his ship was blown off course and he ended up in Sicily. From there he traveled to Forli, Italy and eventually ended up meeting with the founder of the order, Francis of Assisi, to whom he entrusted the teaching of his friars.
Source: About St. Anthony (n.d.) In St. Anthony.org. Retrieved from http://www.stanthony.org/index.php/st-anthony-of-padua/