St. Anthony of Padua was born in 1195 AD at Lisbon, capital of Portugal. When he was 15, he had already devoted himself to study and to the practice of piety, by entering the Augustinian monastery in Coimbra in Portugal.

About this time, some Franciscan friars came to Coimbra. They begged at the door to the monastery where Anthony was living. Some of these friars went as missionaries to Morocco where they were brutally martyred for their faith. Anthony was moved and inspired by their example so that he too wished to enter the Franciscan order and follow the rule of St. Francis of Assisi.

Shortly after he became a Franciscan he was sent as a missionary to North Africa, but once there he became seriously ill. Resigning himself to his fate he boarded a ship to return to Portugal. In an unexpected storm, the ship was blown off course and arrived in Sicily, where he was given shelter by the Franciscans.

After a while in Sicily, he was sent to Assisi, where no one took any notice of this weak and sickly looking friar. One friar, Father Gracian, took pity on him and sent him to Forli where he became chaplain to the friars there. Eventually an ordination service was to take place, but the visiting preacher became incapacitated and another preacher had to be found. Many friars were asked but declined saying they were ill prepared. Anthony was then asked but also declined, but this time the Superior insisted by virtue of his vow of obedience, that Anthony preached the sermon. At first as he began to preach he was very reserved, but soon he gained confidence and filled with the zeal of the power of the Holy Spirit, his preaching amazed everybody.

When St. Francis heard of Anthony’s inspired preaching he gave him the mission to preach throughout Italy. Later St. Francis also commissioned him to teach theology "but in such a manner that the spirit of prayer was not extinguished either in yourself or in the other brethren." Anthony placed greater value on the salvation of souls than on teaching.

People flocked to hear his preaching and sometimes the crowds were so great that no church was large enough and he was forced to preach in the open air. As a result of his preaching, many were converted, deadly enemies reconciled, thieves made restitution, slanderers recanted and apologised.

However busy Anthony was preaching and teaching, he never forgot the words of St. Francis that the spirit of prayer must never be extinguished and for this reason, after many a busy day, he spent hours, well into the night, praying.

There is a story that once a man, in whose house Anthony was staying the night, came upon him holding the Christ Child in his arms and for this reason, St. Anthony is now depicted holding the Christ Child, both surrounded by heavenly light.

In 1227 AD, Anthony became Minister Provincial of the friars living in Northern Italy and came to Padua. Here he resumed his preaching, but because he had always worked hard he felt his strength weakening and prepared himself for death. After receiving the last Sacraments, he kept looking upwards with a smile on his face. When he was asked what he saw, he answered, "I see my Lord". He died on 13 June 1231 AD, aged 36. The children in the streets of Padua cried, "The Saint is dead - St. Anthony is dead."

The year after his death, Pope Gregory lX enrolled Anthony as a Saint and at Padua a magnificent basilica was built in his honour and his holy relics entombed there in 1263. From the time of his death to the present day, many miracles have occurred through St. Anthony’s intercession, so that he is known as the ‘Wonder worker.’ Because of these miracles, St. Anthony is known as the Patron of the Oppressed, finder of lost articles, Patron of American Indians and Patron of the Mail. St. Anthony also fought corruption in the government. In 1946 he was declared a Doctor of the Church.

Over the centuries many sick, crippled and infirm have visited the basilica and been healed. At one time, there was an area in the basilica littered with discarded crutches after miracles had been received, but recently these have been cleared away and replaced by notes of thanksgiving hung on the walls.