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St.
Anthony of Padua
Feast Day: June 13
Anthony of Padua felt that God called
him to try many new and different things. As he felt the tug of God’s
love, he gave up one job to work at another. He did this over and over.
Anthony was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195. His father chose to serve
God as a soldier, but Anthony chose something different. When he was 15,
he became an Augustinian Canon. He spent the next eleven years praying
and studying the Bible.
Then, in 1221, when Anthony was 26, God called him to something new. That
year, Anthony saw the bodies of the first martyred Franciscans. He, too,
wanted to die for his faith by preaching to the Moors in Africa. So he
joined the Franciscans. But when he went to Morocco in Africa, to preach,
he fell ill and had to return home.
That same year, Anthony had to preach a sermon without any preparation.
His words amazed people. Now God was calling Anthony to something new
again. He was to become a great preacher throughout Italy and at his home
church in Padua.
In 1231, when he was 36, Anthony died. Within a year, the Church declared
him a saint. People remembered his sermons. Many had lost God, and he
helped them find God again. So still today, many people ask Anthony to
help them find lost things.
Connecting to Faith First® Legacy Edition
Grade 4, chapter 6
Connecting to Faith First®
Grade 4, chapter 6
