St. Anthony of Padua, Priest, Doctor of the Church, Wonder Worker
St. Anthony (also known as Antony) is a Doctor of the Church, a Franciscan called the "Hammer of the Heretics", the "Wonder Worker", and the "Living Ark of the Covenant." He was born Fernando Martin de Bulhom in 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal, the son of a knight of the court of King Alfonso II. His parents sent him to be educated by the clergy at the Cathedral of Lisbon. At the age of 15 he joined the Canons Regular of St. Augustine and at 17, in order to have more seclusion, asked for and obtained leave to transfer to the priory of St. Cross, of the same order, at Coimbra, then the capital of Portugal. There, for a period of eight years, he devoted himself to study and prayer. With the help of a remarkable memory, he acquired a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. The arrival of the relics of St. Bernard and companions, the first martyrs of the Franciscan Order, led Anthony to join the Franciscan Order at the age of 25. At this time, he changed his name to ...