Tony, Tony, Turn Around...

My husband and I have been looking high and low for our marriage license. We need a copy in order to finalize our kids adoption. In our family, I win the blue ribbon for misplacing things. It usually begins with me saying something like, "I'll put this_________(insert name of object) here so I don't lose it." Then when I need this object I can't recall where I placed it. Once I get past my frustration, I invoke the name of St. Anthony of Padua to aid me in finding the lost article. Sound familiar?

Did you ever wonder why St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost things? In his article, St. Anthony of Padua: Patron of Lost Causes, Father William P. Saunders stipulates that:

This attribution comes from an incident where a novice carried off a valuable psalter St. Anthony was using. St. Anthony prayed very hard that the psalter would be found. After seeing an alarming apparition of St. Anthony, the novice returned the psalter. However, many suggest he is more importantly the patron of lost souls-those who have fallen to mortal sin, have abandoned the Church, and have grown apathetic to the practice of the Faith.

Saunders, William F., St. Anthony of Padua: Patron of Lost Causes, www.catholicherald.com/saunders/02ws/ws020613.htm (accessed January 2007)

A similar account is told by Norman Perry, O.F.M. In Devotion to St. Anthony of Padua he writes:

The reason for invoking St. Anthony's help in finding lost or stolen things is traced back to an incident in his own life. As the story goes, Anthony had a book of psalms that was very important to him. Besides the value of any book before the invention of printing, the psalter had the notes and comments he had made to use in teaching students in his Franciscan Order.

A novice who had already grown tired of living religious life decided to depart the community. Besides going AWOL he also took Anthony's psalter! Upon realizing his psalter was missing, Anthony prayed it would be found or returned to him. And after his prayer the thieving novice was moved to return the psalter to Anthony and return to the Order which accepted him back. Legend has embroidered this story a bit. It has the novice stopped in his flight by a horrible devil brandishing an ax and threatening to trample him underfoot if he did not immediately return the book. Obviously a devil would hardly command anyone to do something good. But the core of the story would seem to be true. And the stolen book is said to be preserved in the Franciscan friary in Bologna.

Perry, Norman, Devotion to St. Anthony of Padua, http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Anthony/0-86716-202-3_np.asp (accessed January 2007)

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the invocation: "Tony, Tony, turn around. Something's lost and must be found." Another great prayer is:

Prayer to Saint Anthony of Padua

Dear Saint Anthony, you are the patron of the poor and the helper of all who seek lost articles. Help me to find the object I have lost so that I will be able to make better use of the time I will gain for God's greater honor and glory. Grant your gracious aid to all people who seek what they have lost - especially those who seek to regain God's grace. Amen.

I have to admit that, up to this point, I haven't given much thought to St. Anthony. As I prepared for this post I read through a few accounts of his life. This Doctor of the Church and follower of St. Francis was a wonderful, holy man. His life, works, and miracles are fascinating. If you haven't already, take a few moments and read up on him.

Finding the Real St. Anthony (AmericanCatholic.org)

About St. Anthony (St. Anthony Shrine)

St. Anthony of Padua (The Franciscan Archive)