St. Anthony

Book excerpt: Charles Warren Stoddard St. Anthony of Padua - lector, orator, contemplative, wonder-worker - is considered to be the most popular Saint in the Catholic Church. He was of French descent, from Portugal, but worked in Italy as a Franciscan priest. Renowned for his incredible miracles - including preaching to the fish when people would not listen to him - he is most famous as "The Patron Saint of Lost Objects," but he bears many other great titles, e.g., Doctor of the Church, Hammer of Heretics, Storehouse of Sacred Scripture, Father of Mystic Theology, Ark of Both Testaments, Champion of the Sacred Heart, Apostle of Mary's Assumption, Protector of Seafarers and Patron of a Bountiful Harvest. St. Bonaventure said of him that "He possessed the science of the Angels, the faith of the Patriarchs, the foreknowledge of the Prophets, the zeal of the Apostles, the purity of virgins, the austerities of confessors, and the heroism of martyrs." In all, one will search hard in the annals of the Saints to find a more fascinating and inspiring life than that of St. Anthony of Padua.