Catholic holidays - St. Anthony's Day among Western Christians (the patron saint of lovers, animals and all those in despair, Anthony of Padua Feast Day)

The date of Saint Anthony's death has become a symbol of faith for Catholics, who for centuries have asked him for help in business and finding meaning in life in difficult periods of despair Saint Anthony did not live long - only 35 years, but managed to become famous for his sermons and deeds for centuries Born in the oldest city in Europe, Lisbon, Portugal, on August 15, 1195, his path seemed destined to go in a completely different direction His father, the famous crusader knight, named his first-born Fernando, hoping for a worthy successor in the fight against the infidels But the boy unexpectedly chose the monastic life instead of military glory, becoming a novice at the age of 15, immersing himself in the study of the word of God The death of his father and the five Franciscan monks with whom he was familiar radically changed his worldview He saw the meaning of life in death, but not in battle, but from torment for his faith At the age of 25, he changed his name and parish, joining the Franciscan order, formed several years before these events (1208), but which had already gained respect and recognition for its asceticism and self-sacrifice A severe malaria illness that caught him in North Africa shattered his dreams of converting all Muslims to Christianity A ship caught in a storm, sailing home, with a failed missionary on board, crashed off the coast of Italy Anthony, who miraculously survived, accepted this as God’s will Padua, an Italian province, became the place where, in the days remaining before his death, he was able to accomplish a great mission with his sermons Numerous heretics, who at that time inhabited the territory of Italy in large numbers, were converted to the faith, sometimes by entire cities The vigorous activity that Anthony launched was especially noted by the head and founder of the order, Saint Francis of Assisi “Lamp of the Order” was the name of the young preacher who opened new monasteries and was not afraid to stop internecine wars only with the power of his word After his death in 1231, he was immediately canonized, and this happened so quickly only twice in the history of the Catholic Church For some, it took centuries for their work to be recognized as sacred Simply amazing events, which cannot but be considered a miracle, continued after death The inhabitants of Padua, who built a special resting place - a basilica - in 1263 Transferring the remains of the saint there, it was found that the vocal cords and tongue, the instruments of oratory, remained unharmed Anthony's theological activity puts him on the same level as Thomas Aquinas and other Church Doctors, of whom there are only 36 people He was promoted to this honorary rank in 1946 Anthony’s life story allows us to consider him the patron saint of travelers; they ask him for help when something important is lost, and lovers seek his intercession Extremely modest and undemanding, he always helped the poor, for this, glorifying him, alms are called “St Anthony’s bread” The basilica, owned by the Vatican, gathers millions of Catholics under its majestic arches every year But not only believers, but also ordinary tourists enjoy visiting this attraction of Padua, which is even more popular than the Cathedral June 13 is a special holiday not only for all Western Christians, but also for the residents of Padua, because they celebrate the day of the city, which is proud of its saint, who received the distinctive name Anthony of Padua A group of scientists presented a recreated image of the saint’s head on this memorable date in 2014 The reconstruction is a tribute to the memory of a great man, whose list of miracles amazes believers to this day