St. Anthony of Padua

Summary

Catholic Saints: Episode on St. Anthony of Padua

Release Date: June 13, 2025
Host: Taylor Kemp, Vice President of Content, Augustine Institute
Guest: Dr. Ariel Harms, Director of Pastoral Theology Program, Augustine Institute

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Introduction

[00:02] Taylor Kemp opens the episode by welcoming listeners to "Catholic Saints," a podcast dedicated to exploring the lives of men and women officially recognized as saints by the Catholic Church. She introduces Dr. Ariel Harms, marking her first appearance on the podcast.

Guest Introduction and Background

[00:42] Dr. Ariel Harms shares her initial expectations for the episode, anticipating a discussion centered on the saint's importance.
[00:59] Dr. Harms elaborates on her role at the Augustine Institute, where she teaches pastoral theology and directs the Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology program.

Notable Quote:
"Many of our students either are working in a ministry, especially at parishes or at the diocesan level... they need a little bit more formation for what they are doing." — Dr. Ariel Harms ([01:14])

St. Anthony of Padua: Early Life

[02:16] Dr. Harms confirms that St. Anthony's feast day is celebrated on June 13th.
[02:23] She begins detailing St. Anthony's origins, noting his birth in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195 to a noble family. Originally named Fernando, Anthony was educated at the cathedral school in Lisbon.

Notable Quote:
"And he had the gift of an exceptionally retentive memory, so that he acquired what was really an extraordinary knowledge of the Bible." — Dr. Ariel Harms ([02:25])

Vocation and Joining Religious Orders

[03:02] Taylor Kemp inquires about his family's faith, to which Dr. Harms responds affirmatively, highlighting the supportive Catholic environment that nurtured his vocation.

[04:09] Dr. Harms narrates a pivotal moment in Anthony's life: his encounter with the relics of martyred Franciscans around age 25, inspiring him to embrace martyrdom, a path unavailable within the Augustinian order. This led him to join the newly established Franciscan Order in 1221, where he adopted the name Anthony.

Notable Quote:
"He said, Anthony reminds us that prayer requires an atmosphere of silence, which does not mean distance from external noise, but rather is an interior experience..." — Dr. Ariel Harms ([10:20])

Ministry and Preaching Excellence

[04:28] Upon joining the Franciscans, Anthony initially held low-level positions. However, an impromptu preaching opportunity at an ordination ceremony revealed his extraordinary eloquence and scriptural knowledge.

[06:40] His impactful preaching quickly gained recognition, leading to his commissioning as a dedicated preacher. Dr. Harms emphasizes Anthony's ability to attract and convert crowds through his fervent and knowledgeable sermons.

Notable Quote:
"So he delivered this homily that was so eloquent, so inspiring, full of fervor, and showed, you know, that study that he'd done with the Bible during his years as an Augustinian." — Dr. Ariel Harms ([05:33])

Leadership and Legacy

[07:52] In 1224, St. Francis entrusted Anthony with the theological formation of the friars, underscoring his significance within the order.
[08:02] By 1226, Anthony was appointed the provincial superior of the Franciscans in northern Italy, leading to his relocation to Padua, where he would remain until his untimely death in 1231 at the age of 36.

Notable Quote:
"People near him saw him as a saint and the church did, too." — Dr. Ariel Harms ([15:55])

Patronage and Miracles

[12:06] Taylor Kemp brings up St. Anthony's well-known patronage of lost items. Dr. Harms recounts a story illustrating this aspect:
Anthony prized a handwritten book of psalms essential for his preaching. When a novice stole the book, Anthony's fervent prayer not only led to the book's return but also the repentant novice's reconciliation with the Franciscan order.

Notable Quote:
"So he prayed for it to come back. And not only did the book come back, but the novice came back and rejoined the Franciscan order, too." — Dr. Ariel Harms ([12:42])

Impact and Canonization

[15:47] Dr. Harms highlights the remarkable speed of Anthony's canonization—less than a year after his death—reflecting the immediate recognition of his sanctity by both contemporaries and the Church.

[16:04] The conversation touches upon the dual heritage of St. Anthony as both Portuguese and Italian, given his birthplace and the majority of his life's work being in Italy.

Lessons for Today

[14:28] Dr. Harms advises listeners to emulate Anthony's preparedness for evangelization. Despite initially joining the Augustinians without the intent to preach, his dedicated study and prayer life equipped him to fulfill his calling effectively when the opportunity arose.

[15:00] She recommends being intimately familiar with the life of Christ and recognizing God's work in one's own life as foundational for effective evangelization.

Notable Quote:
"He had entered the Augustinians. They weren't preachers. But he was prepared anyway when the time came to present the gospel in the way that he was called to do it." — Dr. Ariel Harms ([14:28])

Conclusion

[16:53] Taylor Kemp concludes the episode by promoting "Formed," the Augustine Institute's online platform, which features a cinematic portrayal of St. Anthony's life. She also teases the next episode focused on St. Aloysius Gonzaga.

[16:54] Dr. Harms expresses gratitude for participating, signaling her ongoing involvement in future episodes.

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Key Takeaways

• Dedication to Study and Prayer: St. Anthony's profound knowledge of scripture and his disciplined prayer life were foundational to his effectiveness as a preacher.

• Adaptability and Readiness: His ability to seize opportunities, even unexpected ones like stepping in at an ordination, showcases the importance of being prepared for unforeseen calls to service.

• Immediate Sanctity Recognition: Anthony's rapid canonization underscores the significant impact of his ministry and personal holiness.

• Patronage of Lost Items: The story of his lost book symbolizes his role as a patron not only of lost things but also of lost souls, emphasizing reconciliation and restoration.

• Educational Formation: His appointment by St. Francis to educate friars highlights the value of mentorship and teaching in religious life.

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Recommended Resources

• Formed Platform: Explore the Augustine Institute's library of resources, including the cinematic rendition of St. Anthony's life, by visiting watch.formed.org.

• Further Reading: "The Power of Silence" by Cardinal Robert Sarah offers an in-depth exploration of the value of silence in spiritual life, resonating with St. Anthony's emphasis on interior silence.

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This episode of "Catholic Saints" provides a comprehensive and engaging exploration of St. Anthony of Padua's life, highlighting his journey from a noble Portuguese upbringing to his influential role within the Franciscan Order in Italy. Through insightful discussion and notable anecdotes, listeners gain a deeper understanding of Anthony's enduring legacy and the timeless lessons his life offers for contemporary faith practice.

Transcript

[Taylor Kemp]

You're listening to a podcast on Catholic Saints. This podcast is produced by the Augustine Institute, an apostolate helping Catholics understand, live and share their faith. Hello everyone and welcome to Catholic Saints. My name is Taylor Kemp, your host. I am our vice president of content at the Augusta Institute. And with me today is Dr. Ariel Harms. Dr. Harms, welcome. Thank you very much, everyone listening out there. This is Dr. Harms first Catholic Saints episode, but it will certainly not be her last. Do you have any preconceived notions of how these episodes are going to go, Dr. Harms?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

I don't, actually. I imagine we'll talk a little bit about the saint and why they're important.

[Taylor Kemp]

What a curveball it would be if we had a Catholic Saints podcast and did not. So we will. You are correct, Dr. Harms. For the people out there who are not familiar with you, just a quick what do you teach at the Augustine Institute?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

So I teach pastoral theology. I'm the director of our pastoral theology program, the Master of Arts in Pastoral theology.

[Taylor Kemp]

So for all of those that are listening out there, who is like the ideal candidate for who might be interested in our pastoral theology program?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yeah, many of our students either are working in a ministry, especially at parishes or at the diocesan level. Maybe they're volunteers or maybe they're paid and employees. But most of them are either working in that position or aspiring to work in that position. They need a little bit more formation for what they are doing.

[Taylor Kemp]

So if you are working in the church out there and you are looking for formation, this is your sign to check out the Augustine Institute. You can just Google us. We have on campus and distance ed learning. And the distance ed learning can be kind of full tilt full time or it can be spread out over, over many, many years to accommodate work life situation. So that is great. Today everyone, we are talking about St Anthony of Padua, who I would say is a very popular saint. So I'm excited to learn more about him. Dr. Harms, first, St. Anthony of Padua, where should we begin? Well, perhaps first, do you know what his feast day is?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yeah, his feast day is June 13th.

[Taylor Kemp]

Okay, June 13th. Mark your calendars. And then first, St. Anthony. Where should we begin?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Why don't we begin with his birth?

[Taylor Kemp]

Okay.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

He was born, he's actually Portuguese, so he was. Well, Padua's a city in Italy. He's Portuguese, so he was born to a Noble family in 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal. His birthday is August 15th and the name that his parents gave him at his baptism was Fernando. Actually not much is really known about his family, except that it was a more aristocratic family. And he was eventually educated at the cathedral school in Lisbon.

[Taylor Kemp]

So his family was Catholic?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

His family was Catholic. They did not, like many saints that we may hear about, they didn't oppose his vocation in any way or anything that we know of. At age 15, he joined an Augustinian order. And there he devoted himself to prayer and study. And he had the gift of an exceptionally retentive memory, so that he acquired what was really an extraordinary knowledge of the Bible. So he had this education. And then when he was maybe 25, he encountered the relics of some recently martyred Franciscans. The Franciscan order was pretty new at that time. Yeah, I was gonna say maybe 10 years old. The Franciscan order was. And the encounter with those relics actually made him want to give his life for Christ the way the martyrs did. And he didn't see that as a possibility as an Augustinian.

[Taylor Kemp]

Interesting.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

So he ended up wanting to leave the Augustinians and join the Franciscans, who were, like I said, very new at the time. And when he was admitted to the Franciscan order in 1221, and it was at that time that he came to be known as Anthony.

[Taylor Kemp]

Okay.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

So up until that point, he was still Fernando.

[Taylor Kemp]

Okay. Wow. I mean, it's pretty. You know, you hear about in the. In the lives of the saints, the kind of multiple moments of conversion in the threefold conversion of the spiritual life. But you can kind of see that here, that he clearly is a man who, at a young age, gave himself to God to join the Augustinians. But then he even sought, like, you know, a deeper gift and joined the upstart Franciscans, which is always funny for me to hear, because they're now one of the most ancient orders. But to imagine that they're like this brand new. I always. You know, we love St. Thomas Aquinas here, and that he also joined this kind of upstart Dominican order at the time. So it. But it's. It's really amazing. It's. It's such a. I always feel like it's hopeful because you said this happened when he was 25.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yeah, he had. Bet. He had already been with the augustinians for almost 10 years at that point.

[Taylor Kemp]

So, I mean, it is possible at a young age to give your life full and entire to the Lord. Okay. So he joins the Franciscans, he takes on the name Anthony, and then what do we know?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

So his life at the beginning of his time with the Franciscans was kind of hidden. He was put in Kind of low level positions, not really recognized for anything. But there was one time he was asked to fill in when there was some kind. There was an oversight and there was nobody to preach at an ordination ceremony. And so he was tapped and Anthony reluctantly obeyed. He didn't want to do it, but. And I don't know that anyone really thought he would do that great of a job either. Right. But he delivered this homily that was so eloquent, so inspiring, full of fervor, and showed, you know, that study that he'd done with the Bible during his years as an Augustinian. And everyone immediately recognized his talent. He was then almost immediately commissioned as a preacher. And from then on, that was his ministry, primarily preaching.

[Taylor Kemp]

Okay.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

And through his zeal and the power of persuasion that he had, in addition to the attraction of his personal holiness and whatever charismatic gifts he had, crowds of people actually came to him to hear him preach and were converted. There's talk of people coming back to the church. Great sinners going to confession. It really sounds like he was amazing to hear.

[Taylor Kemp]

Yeah. Had a great power. And remind me again, where is he at this point? He is still in Portugal or is he?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

No, he's in Italy.

[Taylor Kemp]

He's in Italy. Okay.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yes, he's in Italy.

[Taylor Kemp]

And this is why I know I. I've been to Lisbon and went to his church and. But the Portuguese and the Italians fight over who gets St. Anthony. But it. Because he was born in Portugal, but then spent, I think, most of the rest of his life in Italy. Okay, so he's in Italy. He is kind of being uncovered as this really gifted preacher. He has this deep knowledge of scripture that I'm sure is informing his preaching to. To an eminent degree. And then where do we go from there?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yeah. So in 1224, St. Francis himself entrusted Anthony with the theological formation of the friars.

[Taylor Kemp]

Wow. Okay.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yeah. Pretty important there, I think, right? That appointment by St. Francis. And then in 1226, Anthony was appointed the provincial superior over the Franciscans in northern Italy.

[Taylor Kemp]

Okay.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

And it's at that point that he went to Padua and stayed.

[Taylor Kemp]

Got it.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

So. And actually he wasn't there that long. He. Five years later. He actually died there in 1231 at the age of 36.

[Taylor Kemp]

Okay. So he is entrusted with the formation of the Friars. What, early 30s?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yeah, he would have been like, yeah, 29, man.

[Taylor Kemp]

Okay. And then he becomes the provincial a couple years later.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

A couple years later.

[Taylor Kemp]

And then you said he died at.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

How old he was 36.

[Taylor Kemp]

Wow. I didn't realize he died I mean, that's especially back then. Like, that's not young. Young, but it's youngish.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yes, it's pretty young.

[Taylor Kemp]

That is. Wow. Okay, so he, you know, we know he was a great preacher, but especially, you know, it seems that this great memory that you noted, this great knowledge of Scripture, this great capacity to learn, is now then flowing out in his teaching. He's a great formator. Do we have much that we know of what he taught or how he taught?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yeah, so there's a couple books of his sermons that we have actually. We've got a book of Sunday sermons and a book of sermons for feast days.

[Taylor Kemp]

Okay. Is there anything in particular of his teaching within those sermons that sticks out?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

So a few years ago, Pope Benedict XVI actually gave a homily on Anthony, and he focused in on the prayer that Anthony talked about, St. Anthony talked about where he actually said, Anthony reminds us that prayer requires an atmosphere of silence, which does not mean distance from external noise, but rather is an interior experience that aims to remove the distractions caused by a soul's anxieties, thereby creating silence in the soul itself.

[Taylor Kemp]

That is beautiful. I don't know if. Did you ever read the Power of Silence by Cardinal Seurat by any chance? It's a good one. But if anyone out there, I mean, gosh, you know, silence obviously dates as far back as the Bible, Old Testament, and then certainly Christ, always retreating into the desert to pray, carries with it this element of solitude and silence. But if anyone out there is looking for a good book that really, repeatedly, for like, 350 pages, tells you about the value of silence. The Power of Silence by Cardinal Robert Seurat is a great one. But that is really beautiful. Especially, you know, if he was provincial. I'm sure he was a busy man, even within a monastery. But to kind of cultivate an interior silence. Anthony's a doctor of the church, if I'm not mistaken.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yeah.

[Taylor Kemp]

Is that right?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

He's got the title Evangelical Doctor.

[Taylor Kemp]

Do you know what is the difference between an evangelical doctor of the Church and a doctor of the Church?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

So when someone's proclaimed a doctor of the Church, that's just like, kind of what their teaching is about. I mean, Dr. Comes from the word for teaching, Right. So being the evangelical doctor, where Aquinas is like the angelic doctor, Right.

[Taylor Kemp]

Yes, I understand.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

He just is pointing to the fact that he was a great evangelizer, in some ways a good model for us with the new evangelization because he was preaching to a largely Catholic population.

[Taylor Kemp]

That's Cool. Okay. And then let's address what probably most Catholics out there know St. Anthony for, which is finding things. What can we say about this? Or do we know why he became this kind of patron saint of lost things?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

So I've got a couple thoughts on that. I found a story that is told that he had a book of psalms that was very important to him. Books were very important to people at that time because they were all copied by hand. Right. And in addition. So you don't have a lot of books because they all have to be written out. And then, in addition, this one happened to have his notes on the psalms in it for his preaching, so that was very important to him, too. And I guess this book disappeared with a novice who left the order.

[Taylor Kemp]

Stole it.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yeah, he stole it. And St. Anthony prayed for it to come back. And not only did the book come back, but the novice came back and rejoined the Franciscan order, too.

[Taylor Kemp]

Wow.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

So.

[Taylor Kemp]

So let us. Let us distill out of that. Not only is St. Anthony great for returning lost things, but lost souls perhaps as well. Okay. Is there anything else that he is known for, of being patron saint of. Or, you know, I guess behind the question is, you know, particularly what do we remember about St. Anthony and his witness of holiness that has made him a saint today?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yeah, I mean, I think it's his preaching. Right. His zeal for souls, because you don't go out and preach like that or spend the time preparing to preach like that unless you actually have a desire to bring souls to Jesus Christ. Right. So he had the preparation for the preaching, and then when it was. When he was commissioned to do it, he did it well.

[Taylor Kemp]

Yeah, he had been. He was being prepared for that long before he ever had to do. I've always loved. You know, there's a line of Catholic teaching in which, like, the Lord is obviously always preparing us for whatever. Whatever his. His providence has in line for our life. But it's so. It's such a beautiful thing when those moments happen and you can look back and say, oh, my goodness, the lor had been working in this, and it kind of flowered at this exact moment. And you can see that in his life, which is quite beautiful. From St. Anthony, what would your advice be for listeners out there of what. What are some things that we could take from. Kind of the heritage of. Of St. Anthony's life and teaching that we can incorporate into our lives today?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yeah, I. I mean, I think being prepared to do the work of evangelization is probably a good. He didn't know that he was going to be when he started his study of Scripture and when he started his life of prayer, he didn't know that he was going to be called to be a preacher. Right. He had entered the Augustinians. They weren't preachers. But he was prepared anyway when the time came to present the gospel in the way that he was called to do it.

[Taylor Kemp]

Would you have any recommendations about ways people can be prepared?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

I think being familiar with the life of Christ and knowing how God works in our own lives. Right. Being able to say, this is how I see God working in my life, because that's a very powerful thing for the work of evangelization.

[Taylor Kemp]

Yeah, it's true. And especially in the Old Testament, you can see, and of course in the New. But they're always recalling what God had done in order to remember, strengthen their faith for what he will do in the future. But we can do that on a very personal level, too. What has the Lord done for me? Well, Dr. Harms, we are close to the end of our time here. Is there anything else you want to leave listeners with, anything else about St. Anthony before we close?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

I found it interesting. Don't know how this fit in earlier, but he was actually canonized less than a year after his death.

[Taylor Kemp]

Wow. That's incredibly rare.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Yeah. People near him saw him as a saint and the church did, too.

[Taylor Kemp]

Yeah. That's beautiful. Now, if you had to say, is he Portuguese or is he Italian? Is he a Portuguese saint or an Italian saint?

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

I think both can claim him. Right.

[Taylor Kemp]

Okay.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

I mean, he was born Portuguese. He had the formation from his parents and the Augustinians in Portugal. All right.

[Taylor Kemp]

The. The debate continues. It is not to be resolved here. Well, Dr. Harms, thank you so much. And especially for those of you out there listening, there's a here at the Augusta Institute, we have an online video and audio platform called formed. You can find it by going to watch.formed.org but there's a great movie on, on St. Anthony if you, if you want to see kind of a cinematic telling of parts of his life. Obviously not the whole thing, but you can check that out. So Dr. Harms, thank you so much for joining us.

[Dr. Ariel Harms]

Thank you for having me.

[Taylor Kemp]

It was great to have your first Catholic Saint episode and we will have more to come, not least of all. Our next with you will be St. Aloysius Gonzaga. So everyone out there, thank you for listening and for joining us on Catholic Saints. We will see you next time.