10 Reasons We’re Head Over Heels for St. Anthony

Join us in praying to St. Anthony for all that is lost—in our own lives and in the lives of those suffering loss around the world.

So, what’s all this fuss about St. Anthony? Well, as one of the Catholic Church’s most beloved saints, you might be familiar with St. Anthony as the patron saint of stolen and lost articles. Born in Portugal over 800 years ago, St. Anthony of Padua is the second quickest saint to be canonized in history—we weren’t lying when we said he’s one of the churches most beloved! His feast day is recognized on June 13.

As it turns out, St. Anthony is good for far more than the summoning of lost items. Has St. Valentine been letting you down when it comes to love connections? You might want to start sending your love requests to St. Anthony instead. That’s right, St. Anthony has been known to have a heavy hand when it comes to finding love. Some cultures place his statue upside down in hopes that he will help them find a sweetheart! Move over Cupid, we’ve got a (not so new) matchmaker in town.

Still not convinced? Don’t worry we’ve got more to share. Check out our top ten reasons why people (and us) have fallen head over heels (pardon the pun) for St. Anthony.

10 Reasons We’re Head Over Heels for St. Anthony

1) St. Anthony was not one to hold a grudge.

Even after a discouraged church novice stole St. Anthony’s psalter, he forgave. The psalter is said to have held all the notes he used to preach to students. We will say, his forgiveness might have had something to do with the fact that after praying for the psalter to appear, the thief returned – with the psalter in hand and, the passion rejoin the Franciscan Order. This, leads us to our next point.

2) Searched through one too many lost and founds? Well, you already know what to do.

If you think you’ve lost something, go ahead and name it in your prayer to St. Anthony. He first became associated with lost items after having that psalter stolen. But, legend speaks of many, many incidences in which lost items were recovered after sharing prayers with St. Anthony. In fact, so much so that people began making donations to the poor as thanksgiving to St. Anthony (also known as St. Anthony’s Bread).

3) St. Anthony had a way with words.

Legend has it that after a crowd in Rimini, Italy refused to hear him speak, St. Anthony turned to the ocean and started preaching to the fish. Not long into his sermon, a school of fish rose from the water to listen to his words.

4) He knows how to make a miracle happen.

St. Anthony is known as a great miracle worker in the Catholic Church, from healing the sick to raising the dead.

5) He was one smart cookie.

He’s known as a “Doctor of the Church,” a title only given to those who have made significant contributions to church teachings. He apparently had a way of preaching scripture that resonated with those who were not yet believers.

6) Known for this, known for that, as it turns out St. Anthony is the patron saint of well… everything.

He’s been called the patron saint of amputees, animals, Brazil, the elderly, the oppressed, the poor, and even of shipwrecks… believe it or not the list goes on.

7) He was one humble miracle worker.

Called one of the greatest preachers and educators of his day, St. Anthony was thought of as the saint of the people.

8) St. Anthony seems to know a thing or two about love.

Like we said before – move over Cupid. In some cultures, St. Anthony is known for his help in finding true love, and there are many traditions for summoning his matchmaking help. As mentioned before, one includes praying to his upside down statue.

9) As beloved as he came to be, his journey to sainthood reminds us that success doesn’t have to happen overnight.

In fact, as a young student new to monastery life, St. Anthony hit a few bumps along the way. His early schooling was not so conducive to studying and prayer, as he engaged in frequent visits with friends.

10) As if he isn’t the patron saint of enough, Pope Leon XII referred to him as the saint of the world.

Pope Leon XII, who was head of the Catholic Church from 1878 to his death in 1903, gave St. Anthony this title because of the respect and veneration he received from people all over the world.