ANTONY, ST.. OF PADUA (1195-1231). A famous saint. He was born at Lisbon, Por tugal. August 15, 1195, baptized as Ferdinand, but took the name Antony when lie entered the order of St. Francis. in 1220, after being a canon of St. Vincent's in Lisbon. and already noted for biblical and patristic learn ing. In 1221 be attended a meeting of the order at Assisi and made a poor impression, but soon after produced great astonishment and delight at a meeting with the Dominicans, and was sent by St. Francis as revival preacher to northern Italy. where he met with tremendous success. In 1223, after studying at St. Francis's direc tion mystical theology for five months, he was appointed the first theological tutor in the order, and taught in northern Italy and France. In 1227 he became provincial of northern Italy: in November of that year he entered Padua for the first time. In 1230 he went to Rome as delegate to get the papal decision upon the binding nature of certain points in the Franciscan rule—not, as frequently asserted, to secure the deposition of the general of the order. He died at Padua,
,Tune 13, 1231. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX. in 1232. his great repute as a preacher gave rise to legends of miraculous pow ers. He is the patron saint of animals. Once he preached to the fishes, it is said. and they listened to him with rapt attention. Joseph Addi son gave an abstract of it in his Remarks on Italy. For the classic biography of Antony, con sult Emmanuel de Azevedo of Coimbra, rita del Taumaturgo . . . .'gant' Antonio di Padora (lat est edition. Padua. 1S29) : consult also: De Cheranee. Antony of Padua (London. 1895) ; T. Beale (1897), Mrs. Arthur Bell (190l). in French by A. Lepitre (Paris. 1901 ). His works were published by Ho•oy in his ..Evi Bib liotbeen Pa tristien (Paris, ISS5).