All the endeavors of St. Francis - founding the Franciscan Order, preaching to the birds, and becoming one of the most venerated religious figures in Christianity – flow from one source: living the gospel life demonstrated through the complete charity of Jesus. Francis traded a life of luxury for one of poverty after various military failings and spiritual awakenings, leading him to follow the teachings of Christ with a vigor, dedication, and literal nature that made many view him as insane. His renouncement of the world, rebuilding of God’s churches, and renewal of the Catholic faith altered human history forever. St. Francis of Assisi 1181 - 1226 Feast Day: October 4 Location: Assisi, Italy Identifiers: Confessor, Founder of Franciscans, Stigmata Relic located in the: Left Reliquary Type of Relic: A piece of bone With how much we know about Saint Francis of Assisi, it can actually be hard to grasp an accurate picture of the great saint. With countless letters, poems, liturgical writings and his Rule, paired with biographies written by his closest companions, we know more about Francis than any other medieval saint. The awe-inspiring stories of him – founding the Franciscan Order, preaching to the birds, receiving the stigmata, and becoming one of the most venerated religious figures in Christianity – all flow from one source: living the gospel life demonstrated through the utter and complete charity of Jesus. Around the year 1182, a silk merchant named Pietro di Bernardone dei Moriconi returned to Assisi following a business trip to France to find that his wife, Pica de Bourlemont, had given birth to their son. His excitement transformed to dismay when he found out she had named and baptized him Giovanni, after John the Baptist. The wealthy businessman had no interest though in his son being a man of God – he wanted a man of business. He promptly took to calling him Francis, or Francis, in honor of his commercial success and love of all things French, and the name stuck. Growing up, Francis was a spoiled child, and the tales of his rebellious early years are fabled. He indulged in fine food, wine, and rowdy celebrations, becoming well-known for his wit, charm, and handsome looks. He quickly became the ringleader of a group of young people in Assisi who would party long into the night, with Francis easy to spot with his bright and flashy clothes. While Francis was well on his way to fulfilling his father’s hopes for him (primarily in falling in love with France, the cloth trade, and wealth), he likely began to be disillusioned by his lavish lifestyle even in his teenaged years. Stories tell of a beggar asking Francis for alms while he was selling cloth and velvet in the marketplace, and at the end of the day, Francis ran after the beggar to give him everything in his pockets. He was mocked by his friends and scolded by his father for this act of charity, which was a sign of things to come. As he grew older, Francis began to grow bored at the prospect of life in the cloth trade and set his sights on a more glorious future – a knight! The idea of being a war hero on the battlefield took hold of him, and he yearned for a chance to prove himself noble in war, the opportunity for which was right around the corner. In 1202, war broke out between Assisi and the nearby town of Perugia. He marched off to battle, dressed in fancy armor and head full of dreams of future glory, only to find themselves hopelessly outmatched and outnumbered. The butchered bodies of the Assisi army soon covered the battlefield, and the surviving forces attempted to flee but were ultimately captured by the Perugia troops. Most of the surviving Assisi men were put to death, except for those deemed worthy of ransom. Francis, easily captured thanks to his lack of combat experience, was deemed such thanks to his expensive armor. He and the other wealthy troops awaiting ransom were led off to a harsh, underground prison in Collestrada, where he spent the next year of his life awaiting his father’s payment. It was during this time that the very first moments of his spiritual conversion began to take root. While he reportedly retained his cheerfulness amidst his dark and harrowing surroundings, he also reportedly contracted a serious illness that turned his thoughts towards eternity; the emptiness of his life thus far began to weigh on his mind as he slowly returned to health and eventually regained his freedom following his father paying his ransom. Upon returning to Assisi in 1203, Francis attempted to return to his carefree life with mild success. He still occasionally took part in revelries alongside his former comrades, and his dreams of glory through a military career were still mostly intact. When a call for knights went out in 1205 for men to join the Fourth Crusade amid the army of Walter III, Count of Brienne. Boasting loudly that he would “return a prince,” Francis departed for Apulia to enlist But he never got farther than a single day’s ride from Assisi. Strange dreams, which had begun just before leaving Assisi, began to shake him to his core. According to his biographers, the night before he had left to enlist, Francis had seen in a strange dream a vast hall that had armor marked with the Cross hung along the walls. A voice had told him, “These are for you and your soldiers,” and Francis, still full of an earthly glory had replied, “I know, I shall be a great prince!” In a second dream that same voice, which Francis came to realize was God himself, told him that he had it all wrong and to return home. He rode his horse back into Assisi, growing humiliated as he was called a coward by the village and screamed at by his seething father over the money wasted on armor. His former life of luxury had lost all of its appeal. His dreams of military glory were gone. A spiritual stirring was beginning in his heart, one that cast aside the worldly attachments that had weighed him down thus far, and he awaited the next step towards a life in the spirit. In the meantime, he avoided his former companions and their parties, who laughingly asked if he was instead courting a woman to marry. He reportedly answered them, “Yes, a fairer bride than any of you have ever seen.” This “bride” was what Francis called “Lady Poverty” who he began to love and embrace through giving up his former lavish and wasteful ways and instead committing his life to God. One day while riding his horse through the Umbrian countryside, Francis came across a leper on the side of the road. While he was initially repulsed by the appearance and smell of the leper, he nevertheless jumped down from his horse and kissed his hand. Francis reportedly described the experience as a feeling of sweetness in his mouth, and after this encounter, felt an indescribable freedom. These actions began a self-emptying of Francis, now in his early 20s and spending much of his time among the poor or alone in empty places, asking God for enlightenment. Two specific moments stand out amid his conversion to full dependence on the Lord. The first was on a pilgrimage to Rome, when he visited the tomb of St. Peter and noticed the scarce offerings he saw there. Emptying his pockets, he went one step further by exchanging his fancy clothes for those of a tattered mendicant outside the basilica, where he stood the rest of the day fasting among the beggars there. The second moment was upon his return to Assisi, while he was exploring a rundown chapel of San Damiano on the outskirts of his town. The crumbling, forsaken chapel had a Byzantine crucifix hanging inside of it, and while Francis was praying before it, he heard a voice saying three times: “Francis, go and repair My house, which you see is falling down.” Francis, looking around, noticed that the building was very old and close to falling down. He departed the chapel with the mission of rebuilding that physical church, not knowing that there was a much larger rebuilding that the Lord had in store for him. Returning home and seeking the necessary finances to repair the chapel, Francis took a large horse-load of expensive cloth out of his father’s warehouse and sold it, along with the horse carrying the load. He then returned to San Damiano, bringing the money before the officiating priest and asking if he might be able to reside there. The priest allowed him to stay there but refused the money once he learned of how Francis had acquired it. Pietro, Francis’ father, also learned of how Francis had acquired the money, and became incensed at what he viewed as a theft. He had run out of patience with his son, whom he had envisioned an opulent and grandiose life for but was now dressed in rags and living in a dilapidated chapel. To hide from his raging father, Francis lived in a cave near San Damiano for a full month. When he finally emerged and returned home to face his father, dirty and hungry, he was mocked as a madman and pelted with mud and stones. Eventually he was seized by his infuriated father, beaten, bound, and locked in a closet. His mother would mercifully set free him from the closet while his father was away, and Francis returned to San Damiano for a short period until he was by the city consuls by his father, forcing him to return to Assisi. Dragged before the local bishop, he was instructed to return the money. The bishop reportedly reminded Francis that “God would provide.” That was all Francis needed to hear, and he happily returned the gold from his unapproved cloth sale, renounced his inheritance as Pietro had requested, and even stripped off his clothes – clothes which his father had given him – and laying them in a neat pile at Pietro’s feet, in front of a stunned bishop and crowd he said, “ “Hitherto I have called you my father on earth; henceforth I desire to say only ‘Our Father who art in Heaven’. His father left the court in a miserable rage, and there is no indication that he and Francis ever spoke again. That event is credited as the final conversion moment of Francis, who received a rough tunic from the bishop and set out for the cold hills of Assisi singing loudly while roaming the highways. He improvised hymns of praise for God as he went and was surely quite a sight for anyone who happened upon him, including a group of robbers. The robbers asked him who he was and when he answered resolutely, “I am the herald of the Great King,” they beat him, stole the little clothes he had, and tossed him into a snow drift. Francis, frozen and naked, sought refuge at a nearby monastery where he worked as a scullion, or a servant assigned to menial kitchen tasks. He then traveled to Gubbio, where a friend helped him acquire the cloak, girdle and staff of a pilgrim. He returned to Assisi, still viewed as a madman, and began begging for stones so that he could rebuild the chapel of San Damiano. Over the course of the next two years, Francis embraced the life of a penitent and restored several rundown chapels in the Assisi countryside while performing various works of charity, including nursing lepers around the area. One of the chapels he restored, St. Mary of the Angels, became a well-known place of worship called the Portiuncula (and the namesake of the future chapel which would hold the reliquary housing the relic of Saint Francis). He built himself a small hut to live nearby, and one fateful morning in February of 1208, Francis was attending Mass in the chapel. The Gospel reading that day was the “Commissioning of the Twelve” from the Book of Matthew, and Francis heard clearly the call to “possess neither gold nor silver, nor scrip for their journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff, and that they were to exhort sinners to repentance and announce the Kingdom of God.” Francis felt a weight to these words and took them as if God had spoken them to him directly. Once Mass was over, he threw away the few measly things he had in his possession, obtained a coarse woolen tunic, the standard dress of the poorest Umbrian peasants at the time, and tied it around himself with a knotted rope. He immediately took to the countryside to preach on brotherly love, sincerity and the need of repentance. He would greet all those he passed on the road with “Our Lord give you peace” and his natural charisma began to attract curious travelers to hear his words. Francis never became an ordained priest (he was later ordained a deacon) but spoke to the incredulous listeners with great power and authority. His Christ-like embrace of poverty was a radical view at that time in the Catholic Church, which had grown extremely rich and bloated. Francis felt that the apostolic ideals of the Catholic Church had eroded just like the structures of the run-down chapels he had discovered, and he set out to rebuild not just the physical churches of his area, but the Church of Christ itself. His moving warmth and sincerity began attracting devoted disciples. A rich merchant named Bernard Quintavalle invited Francis to stay at his house and after a long night of talking, Bernard was convinced of Francis’ dedication to the Lord and sold all his goods, gave the proceeds to the poor, and joined him. Another man, Peter de Cattaneo, also began following Francis, and together they traveled to the Portiuncula with him where they built small huts near his and received one of the rough tunics he was wearing, which would become their new habits. Around 1209, now with companions alongside him, Francis now knew there needed to be a set direction for their lives. He picked up the Bible, and randomly flipped it to three different readings. The first he landed on was the command from Jesus to the rich, young man to sell at that he had and give to the poor. The second reading was the order of Jesus to the apostles to take nothing on their journey, and the final landing spot was the demand to take up the cross daily. “This shall be our rule of life”, Francis declared, and from then on, the group grew steadily in numbers as they set out among the countryside to proclaim the good news of the Lord through their radical poverty. After a year, Francis had eleven followers and the group called themselves “the Penitents from Assisi.” Francis decided to head to Rome to get approval from Pope Innocent III to recognize his group as an official religious order. There are varying accounts of how Francis came to stand before the pope, but many report that upon arriving in Rome, the brothers came across Bishop Guido of Assisi (the same Bishop who in front of, Francis had renounced his father) who was traveling alongside the Cardinal Bishop of Sabina, Giovanni di San Paolo. Cardinal Giovanni also happened to be the confessor of the pope. The Cardinal agreed to present Francis, and reluctantly Pope Innocent III met with Francis and his brothers the following day. Many advisors to the Pope looked down harshly upon Francis and his mode of life, deeming it impractical and unsafe, and the Pope listened hesitantly as he considered the matter. Francis was persistent and passionate, and Pope Innocent III chose to informally approve the group. He added that when “God increased the group in grace and number, they could return for an official admittance.” Before they could even return to Assisi, Pope Innocent reportedly was moved by a vivid dream in which he saw Francis holding the teetering Basilica of St. John Lateran upon his shoulders. Encouraged by this dream, he summoned Francis and his companions and officially approved of their mission, with the conditions that they always get the proper consent from local church authorities and choose a leader for ecclesiastical authorities to communicate with. According to tradition, this official founding of the Franciscan Order occurred on April 16, 1210, and with Francis naturally being elected the leader, the group was tonsured (the practice of shaving some of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility) and returned to Assisi in jubilation. The early years of the Friars Minor (named by Francis as such to remind them of their humility) were spent training the brothers in embracing actions of poverty and brotherly love. They traveled two-by-two, announcing to the people in the towns surrounding Assisi the joys and wonders of the Lord. They would sleep in haylofts or on church porches, worked alongside laborers in the fields, and if no work was available, would beg. He encouraged his brothers to follow these commands so literally that when a thief stole the hood of one brother, Francis invited him to run after the man and offer him his robe too. The brothers gained immense attention by their starkly different way of life. Their Order quickly grew at an astonishing rate, and Francis was often preaching in up to five villages per day. He gained a special recognition for his love with all natural phenomena, including the sun, moon, air, water, etc. He loved nature, and many stories tell of him “preaching to the birds” when a group of noisy swallows were disturbing his preaching. The birds immediately fell silent and stood all around him, listening intently as he spoke of God’s praise. Another legend tells of Francis taming a killer wolf near Gubbio that had terrorized the town; Francis persuaded it to cease attacking the local people if they agreed to feed “Brother Wolf” as he called it. He wrote a famous “Canticle of the Creatures” (or “Canticle of the Sun”) in which he mentions Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and other embraces of God in nature. As the legend of Francis grew, many unexpected followers flocked to his side. Among those was a young heiress of Assisi named Clare, who was moved while hearing him preaching during Lent of 1212. You can learn more about this future saint, whose relic will also be present in the Our Lady of the Angels Chapel here. Clare would go on to form the first monastery of the Second Franciscan Order, who became known as the Poor Ladies and eventually the Poor Clares. As the Order began to grow far and wide, Francis grew determined to spread the Gospel not just across Italy but across the world. In spring of 1212, he set course for Jerusalem with the hopes to convert the Saracens, but rough seas ended up leaving Francis shipwrecked and forced to return to Assisi. The same year, he tried to make it to Morocco, but an illness caused him to end that endeavor early as well. In 1219, he made it to Egypt during the Fifth Crusade, and during a ceasefire he crossed army lines and entered the camps of the Muslims seeking to convert the Sultan of Egypt himself. His biographers recount Francis boldly walking among the enemy army calling out, “Sultan! Sultan!” When he was brought before the Sultan and told to state his errand, he boldly announced, “I am sent by the Most High God, to show you and your people the way of salvation by announcing to you the truths of the Gospel.” The sultan received Francis courteously and was intrigued by his preaching, but ultimately wary of the passionate preacher when he offered to challenge the Sultan’s priests to a “trial by fire” in order to prove the truth and authenticity of the Gospel. Nonetheless, the sultan allowed Francis to pass through unharmed, and gave him permission to travel to the sacred places of the holy land and even preach there. Following this visit, Francis hastened back to Italy because of trouble brewing since his absence. The Friars Minor had grown at an unprecedented rate, and the organizations’ structure had not been able to keep up with the growth. Furthermore, the two vicars whom Francis had left in charge of the Order, had called a general chapter in which new or adjusted rules were causing strife among the friars. The issues surrounded Francis on all sides: new fasts had been imposed upon the friars which were more severe than their rule required, a Cardinal had conferred on the Poor Ladies a new written rule that was essentially the same as the Benedictine Nuns, one motivated brother had assembled a large number of lepers with the hope of forming a new religious order with them and had already set out for Rome to seek approval, some of the friars in Bologna had built an opulent new monastery, and there was even a rumor spreading that Francis himself had passed away while in Egypt. Sensing the Order to be on the verge of a serious crisis, Francis accepted that while some measure of change was needed in order to run the large organization, no change would ever divert the focus away from their founding principles: poverty, humility, and love of the Lord. In 1220, he resigned as minister general, and in May 1221, offered the first draft of a new and revised Rule for the Order. It was a very long and confusing document, and two years later he took to the solace of a mountain to rework it entirely. But when he returned with the rewritten rule, one of his brothers negligently lost the new draft, and Francis had to return to the mountain and write it all over again. This revised rule was finally approved by Honorious III on November 29, 1223 and is known as the Second Rule, or the Franciscan Rule, as it is the one still observed the Friars Minor to this day. It is based on the three specific vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, with the notion that a special focus be placed on poverty. It also set specific regulations for discipline, preaching, and entry into the Order. This new rule ushered in stability and unity among the Friars, and upon its completion and approval, Francis began to withdraw from external affairs regarding the Friars Minor. The Order he had founded was back on the right track, and he felt peace in its trajectory. Around 1223, Francis was praying on the mountain of Verna during a forty-day fast ahead of “Michaelmas”, also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. During his retreat, he meditated deeply on the sufferings of Christ, and around the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14), he had a vision of a winged seraph, nailed to a cross, flying towards him, followed by keen stabs of pain in hands, feet, and sides. He had received the very first stigmata, with the five wounds of Christ appearing on Francis. The wounds, as well as a bout of trachoma affecting his eyes, weakened the great preacher, but he refused to stop spreading the word of God. He would regularly ride down the mountain to preach, heal people, and rein in any members of the Friars Minor who were stepping too far away from the ideals of the Order. He continued this mission even as his health continued to slip away, with Francis undergoing gruesome treatments in an attempt to heal his ailments. Francis paid a final visit to the future St. Clare at San Damiano (where he would compose the famous “Canticle of the Sun”) before setting out for Assisi on his deathbed. So renowned was Francis that he was forced to take a roundabout path home, due to concerns over neighboring towns attempting to carry him off by force so that he might die in their town (thus awarding them the glory of possessing the coveted relics of the future saint). He was able to safely return to his beloved Portiuncula, where he had finally discovered his true vocation, and he spent his final days in a small hut next to the building. The night before he died, he had bread brought to him and breaking it, he distributed it among those present, blessing them and saying, “I have done my part. May Christ teach you to do yours.” His final request was to leave the earth free of any last bit of attachment, and as the Gospel reading for Holy Thursday was read (the Passion according to St. John), he removed his habit, lay on the bare ground, and embraced “Sister Death” on October 3, 1226. He was 45 years old. Francis in his humility had initially requested to be buried in a cemetery designated for criminals in the Colle d’Inferno (a despised hill where the criminals themselves were typically executed), but a crowd of people from Assisi came down to the Portiuncula to process his body to the church of St. George in Assisi. Numerous miracles were soon taking place at his tomb, and they were attributed to Francis. On July 16, 1228, just two years after his passing, Pope Gregory IX canonized Saint Francis of Assisi, and laid the foundation stone for the Basilica of Saint Francis the very next day. Saint Francis was buried in the Basilica bearing his name on May 25, 1230, but the exact location of this tomb was later hidden on orders from the Friars Minor in order to protect it from Saracen invaders. It was rediscovered in 1818, refashioned between 1927 and 1930, and examined and confirmed to be authentic by a group of scholars appointed by Pope Paul VI in 1978. On March 13, 2013, upon being elected Pope, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina selected Saint Francis to be his papal name, becoming Pope Francis. He would later tell journalists that it was Francis’ “concern for the well-being of the poor” that motivated him to select the name, which was clear to him when a Brazilian Cardinal had hugged him upon his election and whispered, “Don’t forget the poor.” Saint Francis of Assisi is an incredibly admirable saint. He followed the teachings of Jesus Christ with a vigor, dedication, and literal nature that led many to view him as being utterly insane. However, those that once chased “God’s fool” out with mud and stones would soon have their hearts moved by his renouncement of the world, rebuilding of God’s churches, and renewal of the Catholic faith that this great saint brought about through his reckless love of Jesus and His people. Next Item Previous Item

First Reconciliation and First Communion will be through our Adult Confirmation Program – Participants will receive their First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. During the Fall Semester, Adult Confirmation preparation is offered through an 8-10 week course. First Communion - Adult First Reconciliation and First Communion will be through our Adult Confirmation Program – Participants will receive their First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. During the Fall Semester, Adult Confirmation preparation is offered through an 8-10 week course. 18+ years old Next Item Previous Item Program Contact Katie Krall Adult FF/ Marriage Manager kkrall@ap.church 832-482-4147 First Communion and Reconciliation Preparation for those at least 18 years old and out of high school, will be through our Adult Confirmation Program. Participants will receive their First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. Adult Confirmation preparation is offered through a ~10-week course during the Fall Semester. Requirements: Must be at least 18 years old AND graduated from High School. Have already received the Sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church. Do not have any marriage impediments. Are growing in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Fill out the Adult Confirmation Interest Form ***You will need to provide a recently issued copy of your baptismal certificate dated within the last 6 months. Please call the church that you were baptized at and ask them to “re-issue” your baptismal certificate. Please Note: If you are married, and you and/or your spouse are Catholic, but you were not married in the Catholic Church, you will need to have your marriage convalidated prior to becoming Catholic. For more information and to see if this applies to you, please read the Marital Status Information below. Marital Status Information Adult Confirmation Request Form

Born on October 13, 1563, in Villa Santa Maria, Italy. St. Francis Caracciolo came from a noble family and developed a deep devotion to the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary early in life. After surviving a severe illness at 22, he renounced earthly wealth and became a priest, serving the sick and prisoners. He co-founded the Clerics Regular Minor in 1588 with St. John Augustine Adorno. He is known as the “Hunter of Souls” and “Father of the Poor,” he dedicated his life to the poor, fasting, and promoting Eucharistic devotion. St. Francis Caracciolo 1563 - 1608 Feast Day: June 4 Location: Italy Identifiers: Confessor Relic located in the: TBD Type of Relic: A piece of bone St. Francis was born on October 13, 1563 in Villa Santa Maria (Chieti), into the noble and wealthy Caracciolo family. His love for Jesus, bread of life, which was born very early, like his vocation, when he still lived with his noble and rich family in Villa Santa Maria. No less is the love he felt for the Madonna, honored by wearing the habit of Carmine since he was a child and then by reciting the rosary and fasting every Saturday. At 22 he is struck by a bad form of elephantiasis that disfigures his entire body. So he vows to forever renounce earthly riches in exchange for healing. He is listened to. Two years later he was ordained a priest and was noted for some alleged healings among the sick in the hospitals where he exercised his ministry, as well as in prisons. Among the last. Always. Therefore, he asked to join the Company of the Whites that in Naples served among those condemned to death and convicts at the hospice of the Incurables. It was 1588. One day he receives a letter from a Genoese nobleman, Don Agostino Adorno, and from the abbot of Santa Maria Maggiore in Naples, Fabrizio Caracciolo. In reality, it is addressed to a religious man of the same name who is part of his own congregation, but it is delivered to him, who welcomes it as a sign of Providence. It is due to this misunderstanding that together with the two aforementioned people Ascanio meets at the Camaldolese and writes the constitution of a new institute of which he is co-founder. It was he who proposed to add to the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, a fourth vow that committed one to refuse any ecclesiastical office. When the new institute was recognized, Ascanio changed his name to Francesco. In 1589 Francis went to Spain with Adorno, who wanted to expand the new institute there. The trip, however, was a failure: after a year they returned home, Francis was ill, Adorno died. In 1591 Francis was elected perpetual general provost, a position he had to accept in order to fulfill the vow of obedience, but he did not change his way of living penance, fasting, or even his habit of doing the most humble jobs. He returned to Spain three years later, but in Madrid King Philip II threatened to close the Hospital of the Italians where he was in charge of the care and assistance of the sick. Only in 1601, elected master of novices, did he succeed in founding a house in Valladolid, demonstrating a great capacity for discernment among the young people, predicting to some a vocation to religious life, to others even apostasy. In 1607 he was finally released from all office and to dedicate himself only to prayer. “Hunter of souls”, “father of the poor”, but also “the man of bronze”: these are the three nicknames by which Francis was known, which perfectly reflect the three faces of his ministry. He never stops visiting the sick and assisting the dying: in the hospital he dedicates himself with great energy to the most humble tasks such as making beds, cleaning rooms, mending the clothes of the sick. He is always ready to collect alms to provide for the education of girls, he brings everything he has to the poor, literally taking the bread from his mouth, often fasting, and donating the clothes that all the brothers discard. He is also tireless in hearing confessions, in teaching catechism to children, in organizing works of charity and in preaching eternal truths to the faithful. If he wants the best for others, for himself he wants nothing: Francis always chooses the narrowest rooms, sleeps and eats very little, and also does penance, even wearing a cilice on feast days and on long journeys on foot. But above all he promotes the cult of the Eucharist, establishing that the students of the Order take turns in the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. He never tires of urging other priests to do this, exposing the Blessed Sacrament every first Sunday of the month. Having made a pilgrimage to the Holy House of Loreto, he was born into heaven here on June 4, 1608 after invoking Saints Michael, Joseph and Francis of Assisi. He was canonized by Pius VII in 1807. https://www.causesanti.va/it/santi-e-beati/francesco-caracciolo.html Next Item Previous Item

St. Desiderius was a Bishop and Martyr, he was also called Dizier. A native of Genoa, Italy, he became bishop of Langres, in France. When the Visigoths invaded the region, Desiderius pleaded for his people and was martyred. St. Desiderius of Langres d. 407 Feast Day: May 23 Location: Langres, France Identifiers: Martyr, Bishop Relic located in the: TBD Type of Relic: A piece of bone St. Desiderius was a Bishop and Martyr, he was also called Dizier. A native of Genoa, Italy, he became bishop of Langres, in France. When the Visigoths invaded the region, Desiderius pleaded for his people and was martyred. Next Item Previous Item

One of the most popular Catholic saints, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux has inspired generations of Catholics, despite never going on missions, never founding a religious order, writing only one main body of work, and living just 24 years on Earth. But it is the piety, the quiet self-sacrifice, and the love of simplicity that draws Catholics towards the Little Flower, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. The youngest ever Doctor of the Church, she pursued holiness despite declining health and other difficulties, but achieved sainthood through humility, and doing simple things with extraordinary love. St. Thérèse of Lisieux 1863 - 1897 Feast Day: October 1 Location: Lisieux, France Identifiers: Doctor of the Church, Carmelite Relic located in the: Center Reliquary Type of Relic: Flesh mixed with wood from the coffin You would be hard-pressed to find another saint in the Catholic Church who has garnered the same amount of admiration and devotion as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. She’s one of the most popular saints, inspiring generations of Catholics, despite never going on missions, never founding a religious order, writing only one main body of work, and living just 24 years on Earth. But it is the piety, the quiet self-sacrifice, and the love of simplicity that draws Catholics towards the Little Flower, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Thérèse Martin was born in Alencon France in 1873. Her father, Louis, was a watchmaker and jeweler, and her mother Zelie Guerin, worked as a lacemaker. She was the youngest of nine children, but four of her siblings would die at a young age. Both of her parents had previous desires to enter religious life, and even after they were married they decided that they would remain celibate, until a confession revealed their celibacy to a priest who insisted they pursue a marriage as God intended. All five of Louis & Zelie’s daughters would go on to enter the convent, but Thérèse was less than saintly for most of her childhood. Adored and coddled by her family, she would in turn become needy and insecure at a young age. Furthermore, her mother Zelie would die from breast cancer while Thérèse was only 4, and having to witness her mother’s slow, painful decline greatly saddened the poor little girl. With all the circumstances and being the youngest of the family, Thérèse quickly became demanding and expectant to have her way no matter what. Her father’s nickname for her was ‘petite reine’, or ‘little queen’. At the age of 11, she became so ill with a fever, that many thought she wouldn’t make it. Family and friends would gather around her bed, desperately praying for her healing. Her sisters would pray to a statue of the Virgin Mary, which they placed in her bedroom. One day, as Thérèse stared at the statue and prayed, she saw the statue of Mary smile at her. She instantly began to feel better, and she recovered so dramatically that many were curious about her healing. Word of the healing grace of Mary spread, but when pestered with questions about the details regarding Mary, Thérèse refused to answer due to the intimacy with Mary she felt in the healing, so many assumed she had just made everything up. Following her sickness, Thérèse still remained self-centered and controlled by her emotions. As more sisters left for the convent, soon it was only her, her father, and one other sister, Celine. A moment of clarity at the age of 14 would help usher her out of her egocentric nature and begin her road to sanctity. Louis and his two daughters were nearing Christmas, and the Christmas day ritual of filling children’s shoes with presents. Though Thérèse was already a teenager, her sister Celine was unable to let her fully grow out of these childhood traditions, and she filled Thérèse’s shoes with gifts. When they arrived back from the church on Christmas day, Thérèse and Celine found their father looking down at the shoes, and before he noticed the two girls, they overheard him sigh and say, “‘Thank goodness that’s the last time we shall have this kind of thing!” Celine looked over to her sister, fully expecting tears and a temper tantrum to follow, but instead, it was a moment of serene clarity for the future saint. Thérèse immediately noticed her immaturity and childish ways, and thanks to Jesus entering her heart in that moment, she swallowed her tears, walked to the shoes and exclaimed in authentic joy over the gifts. It was a true conversion of heart, and Thérèse would enter the convent the very next year. She desired to enter Carmel as a contemplative nun, but she was deemed too young to enter the convent. She appealed to the Mother Superior, who told the 15-year-old Thérèse that she could enter early – at the age of 16. Not satisfied, she appealed to the Bishop. When that didn’t work, she took a pilgrimage to Rome and appealed directly to the Pope himself! While at an audience with the Pope, despite being forbidden to speak to him, she began begging that he let her enter the Carmelite convent as soon as he was near enough to hear her. While the Pope didn’t intervene, the Vicar General was impressed by her zeal, and Thérèse Martin was admitted to the Carmelite Convent at Lisieux on 9 April 1888. A once shy little girl, the pursuit of an early entrance to the convent was the first beginnings of blooming into the Little Flower. Entering the convent, she took the name Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. Her sisters Pauline and Marie were in the same convent, but unlike her spoiled childhood, the life of routine and silent prayer was tough. On top of that, not long after she entered the convent, her father began hallucinating after a series of strokes left him stricken both physically and mentally. As a cloistered nun, she was unable to visit her beloved father, and this grief began a period of suffering and dryness of prayer for the distraught Sister Thérèse. She would try desperately to pray but write in her journals that “Jesus wasn’t doing much to keep the conversation going.” Thérèse persevered through this spiritual drought through one main focus: humility. Sitting in the convent, she knew that she may not be able to serve as a world-changer in the traditional sense of great works and deeds, but instead, she focused on the little sacrifices. She would write “Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love.” These ‘little sacrifices’ would range from being friendly to nuns she disliked, to not complaining about anything trivial, to even being accused of breaking a vase she hadn’t touched, and instead of proclaiming her innocence, she apologized and asked for forgiveness. This mindset would develop into an keen spirituality, based on childlike trust and confidence in God. The ‘little way’ of Thérèse was not about grandiose actions or words; it was about doing simple things well, and with extraordinary love. Another sacrifice for Thérèse would soon follow – her sister Pauline was elected prioress of the convent, and due to the politics of the order, many nuns feared the Martin sisters would ‘take over’ a rule on the convent. To alleviate those fears, Pauline asked Thérèse to remain a novice. This was no small request, as this would mean Thérèse would never become a fully professed nun in the order, continuing to have to ask permission for nearly everything. For Thérèse though, it was another sacrifice that she could offer up for the glory of God. As Thérèse continued her time in the convent, she reflected constantly on her ability to achieve holiness in life. For her, sainthood was the only option, even with the simple, hidden life she was living. She wrestled with her vocation, was placed in charge of the other novices, and even reflected on how she measured up to the saints in terms of her likelihood for sainthood. “I have always wanted to become a saint. Unfortunately, when I have compared myself with the saints, I have always found that there is the same difference between the saints and me as there is between a mountain whose summit is lost in the clouds and a humble grain of sand trodden underfoot by passers-by. Instead of being discouraged, I told myself: God would not make me wish for something impossible and so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint. It is impossible for me to grow bigger, so I put up with myself as I am, with all my countless faults. But I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new.” She would continue to pursue her apostolic and missionary vocation, to love and draw everyone in her path closer to the Lord, even as her health began to fail her. In 1896, she coughed up blood, but kept working without telling another soul, until she became so sick that it was apparent. She experienced months of pain and agony, and her sister Pauline could only watch and pray at her bedside, before asking Thérèse to write about her life in hopes of distracting her. She penned her reflections on her childhood, her love of God, and her “everything is grace” mindset over the course of her final weeks, before finally succumbing to tuberculosis on September 30, 1897. She was 24. Before she died, realizing that her mission was only beginning, Thérèse proclaimed “I will spend my heaven doing good on Earth. I will let fall a shower of roses.” And while despite one nun at the convent commenting that there was “nothing to say” about Thérèse following her death, Pauline disagreed. She compiled the final writings of Thérèse, which would become her autobiography, “Story of a Soul.” Pauline sent the autobiography to 2,000 convents, and before long, her sister’s words had stirred up a passion for her “little way” of faith. The faith in Jesus and embracing of daily sacrifices that Thérèse had welcomed spoke to the hearts of nuns across the world. Her ‘shower of roses’ soon became a torrent, that still drenches the hearts of many Catholics to this day. Thérèse of Lisieux was canonized on May 17, 1925 by Pope Pius XI, only 28 years after her death. In October of 1997, Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church, the youngest ever in the Catholic Church, thanks to the impact of her profound spirituality on so many faithful Catholics. She Is the patron saint of missionaries, florists and gardeners, the loss of parents, tuberculosis, and the gardens of the Vatican City. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux taught us that we should never stop seeking holiness, even in the midst of ordinary lives. To feel as though we can do nothing is false, and a lure of the enemy aimed to keep us content with mediocrity, or a lukewarm faith. Instead, let us look to this inspiring Carmelite nun, who trusted in God enough to seek every available sacrifice she could endure, no matter how big or small. Pursuing this ‘little way’ of faith, may we too journey on towards heaven, picking up our crosses on the way, one shard of wood, one sacrifice, at a time. 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Grant us, with all who have died in the hope of resurrection, to have our consummation and bliss in thy eternal and everlasting glory, and with the blessed Virgin Mary and all thy saints, to receive the crown of life which thou dost promise to all who share in the victory of thy Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. Funerals Grant us, with all who have died in the hope of resurrection, to have our consummation and bliss in thy eternal and everlasting glory, and with the blessed Virgin Mary and all thy saints, to receive the crown of life which thou dost promise to all who share in the victory of thy Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. All Ages Next Item Previous Item Program Contact Dcn. Scott Broussard Deacon & Liturgy Manager sbroussard@ap.church 832-482-4061 Amy Cordova Liturgy Assistant acordova@ap.church 832-482-4209 We are here to assist you in the planning of the Funeral Mass following the death of a loved one. Before you fill out the Funeral Request Form & Liturgy Selection Form, we ask that you read through the following three documents: The Guidelines for Christian Burial will give you an overview from the Archdiocese. Planning the Funeral Liturgy will help you plan the funeral logistics. Readings & Music Selection Guide will help you navigate the selection of readings and music for the Mass. Funeral planning can be done at any time. Please contact us for an appointment if you are interested in pre-planning a funeral for yourself or a loved one. Funeral Request - For a Loved One Funeral Request - Pre-Planning for Yourself

The St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Anthony of Padua Church offers spiritual growth and person-to-person assistance to those in need, focusing on home visits, aid for essentials, and collaborative support with the church’s food pantry. Volunteers help with home visits, funding for basic needs, and weekly outreach activities. How We Help WHAT IS THE ST VINCENT DE PAUL MINISTRY? The Society of SVDP is a Catholic lay organization, which leads women/men to join together to GROW SPIRITUALLY by offering PERSON TO PERSON SERVICE to the needy and suffering in the traditions of founder, Frederic Ozanam and patron St. Vincent De Paul. Essential Elements are Spirituality, Friendship and Service, as Christ teaches No work of charity is foreign: rent, utilities, vehicles, homes, food, disaster relief, prison ministries, etc. Core of our ministry starts with the home visit What can be accomplished with a HOME VISIT One sees and experiences the conditions that others face One can provide comfort and support One can pray with others One can show care and dignity Society of St. Vincent de Paul For those needing assistance Please call 281-466-1920 and leave a detailed message with your name and return phone number, and one of our members will contact you. Become A Volunteer The Founder of the Society of SVDP was Frederic Ozanam. Frederic and his Catholic friends were challenged with the question: “What is your church doing today to meet the needs of society and the poor?” Society of St Vincent De Paul was organized in 1833 in Paris, and quickly spread in Europe (Italy, England, etc), before coming to the United States in 1845 in St Louis. St. Vincent De Paul at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church Approximately 50 members Meet twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Sundays. We are active for 3 out of 4 weeks in a month We provide funds for rent, utilities, car payments, furniture, medicine & more. We often work with the St. Anthony’s Bread food pantry to provide food. Our individual responsibilities include answering phones, scheduling and conducting home visits, pledging funds and paying client bills. We conduct roughly 8 to 12 home visits per week We distribute $8,000 to $10,000 per week, based on the donations received from the parish to the SVDP ministry Volunteer with SVdP You will go and visit the poor ten times a day and ten times a day you will find God there. -Saint Vincent De Paul Donate to SVdP Society

Chiara Offreduccio was a teenager living in Assisi, Italy when she heard St. Francis preach, and a mission was sparked within her to live a life after the Gospel. That mission would lead her to start a religious order, defend her monastery from attack with only the Blessed Sacrament, and become Saint Clare of Assisi. With a passion for poverty, Clare chose to shed her attachments to this world and embark on a radical mission of holiness and simplicity. Her courageous life still guides the more than 20,000 Poor Clare sisters in over 70 countries to this day. Her feast day is August 11th. St. Clare of Assisi 1194 - 1253 Feast Day: August 11 Location: Assisi, Italy Identifiers: Virgin, Founder of Poor Clares, Franciscan Relic located in the: Left Reliquary Type of Relic: A piece of bone In 1212 A.D., Francis of Assisi was preaching at a Lenten service at a church in Assisi, his message reached the ears of a teenager named Chiara Offreduccio, and a mission was sparked within her to live a life after the Gospel. That mission would lead her to found a religious order, defend her monastery from attack with nothing but the Blessed Sacrament, and become Saint Clare of Assisi. Born in Assisi, Italy on July 16, 1194, She was the oldest daughter to her wealthy parents, Favarone and Ortolana. Her mother was a devout woman who had traveled on multiple pilgrimages to Rome and the Holy Land, she passed her love of prayer down to Clare. She embraced prayer at a young age. She was 18 years old when Saint Francis of Assisi came to the church of San Giorgio in Assisi to preach, and the words that she heard would change her life. She asked Francis to help her further dedicate her life to God, and he vowed to help her. Clare refused to marry a man her parents arranged for her, and on Palm Sunday in the year 1212, she fled to the Porziuncula to meet Francis. She knew there was no turning back now that the message of Christ was ignited within her heart, and she exchanged her rich, fancy gown for a rough, woolen robe and veil, and had her golden hair sheared down to a short, cropped cut. She took vows dedicating her life to God, and the Second Order of Saint Francis had begun. Clare traveled to the convent of Benedictine nuns of San Paulo, but her father, enraged with her leaving their family and refusing to marry, attempted to force her to return home. He arrived at the monastery alongside her uncles and would’ve resorted to dragging Clare back to their castle, had she not clung desperately to the altar of the church, resisting any attempt to move her. Throwing back her veil to reveal her cropped hair, she professed that she would have “no other husband than Jesus Christ” and her family, recognizing her unbreakable will, left in defeat. Clare and her sisters relocated to the newly repaired San Damiano monastery. Clare’s aim was to live a simple, holy life filled with poverty and Jesus, and that quickly attracted more women who desired to be brides of Jesus in the bold way Clare was pursuing. They soon became known as the “Poor Ladies of San Damiano”, following a simple rule that Francis had established for them. Included in this rule was a focus on austerity, seclusion from the world, and deep poverty. Clare and her fellow sisters did not wear shoes, eat meat, or sleep in a bed, and they kept silent for the large majority of the day. Their lives were filled with manual labor and prayer, but their joy was undeniable. So committed to a life of abject poverty was Clare, that when officials such as King Gregory IX and the Pope himself suggested they tone down their practices, Clare responded “I need to be absolved from my sins, but I do not wish to be absolved from the obligation of following Jesus Christ.” Clare humbly served the Lord, but her sanctity and dedication to the Lord was apparent. Many stories tell of her returning from prayer with her face so shining that it dazzled those nearby. Popes, Cardinals and Bishops would travel to the church of San Damiano to consult with her but despite her growing notoriety (she was sometimes given the title “alter Franciscus” which translates to “another Francis”), she never left the cloistered walls of San Damiano. She would later defend her order valiantly in September of 1240 and June of 1241, when a pair of armies attempted to attack their monastery. Violent soldiers from Frederick II were on their doorstep ready to attack, when Clare went out to meet them with the Blessed Sacrament, displayed prominently in a monstrance. Raising up the monstrance to where the enemies could see it, she fell to her knees and begged God to save them. Struck by a sudden fear, the attackers fled as fast as they could, without laying hand on a single person in Assisi. Despite her health declining rapidly in her later years, Clare would devote herself to crafting her own rule of life for the Poor Clares, one that would remain faithful to the true mission of their order and be resilient to any attempts to water it down. On August 9, 1253, Pope Innocent IV visited Clare on her deathbed and declared that her rule would serve as the governing rule for the Poor Clares. It is believed to have been the first set of monastic guidelines written by a woman. Two days later, Clare passed away after receiving absolution from the Pope. Before she died, she turned to speak to one of the Franciscan brothers at her bedside and said, “Dear brother, ever since through His servant Francis I have known the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, I have never in my whole life found any pain or sickness that could trouble me.” She was 59 years old. Just two years after her death, Pope Alexander IV canonized Clare as Saint Clare of Assisi on September 26, 1255. The examination of her miracles took just six days to complete. The Basilica of Saint Clare was finished in 1260, and her remains were transferred to a burial place beneath the high altar. In 1263, Pope Urban IV officially changed the title of the Order of Poor Ladies to the Order of Saint Clare. Saint Clare of Assisi had a passion for poverty; despite having ample opportunity to settle into a life of opulence, she chose instead to shed her attachments to this world and embark on a mission of holiness and simplicity. Her courageous resistance to the attacks by soldiers on their lives and politicians on their radical ideals made her an incredible leader, still guiding the more than 20,000 Poor Clare sisters in over 70 countries to this day. Next Item Previous Item

When Constantine the Great seized control of Rome in 312, he soon converted to Christianity. His mother, Helena, also converted, and on her son’s authority, she traveled to Palestine to search for the sacred site of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Details regarding her discovery of the True Cross are lacking and often contradictory among many ancient writers, but the wood that was deemed to be the Cross of Jesus became coveted for centuries. Today only a few fragments of wood remain but are venerated as the ultimate symbol of love through the supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Wood of the True Cross 1st Century Feast Day: September 14 Location: Jerusalem Identifiers: Wood of the True Cross Relic located in the: Center Reliquary Type of Relic: A piece of Wood from the True Cross According to ancient historians, mass crucifixions occurred multiple times around the world, but by far the most famous crucifixion in the history of mankind took place in 1st century Judea, when Jesus Christ, a Nazarene, carried the heavy pinewood up to Golgotha, was nailed upon the cross, and then lifted, to lift humanity out of eternal damnation. As Catholics, we know what happens next. What you may not know, is what happened to that empty, bloodstained cross. The Roman Emperor Hadrian, who reigned A.D. 117-138, abolished the name Judea and renamed the area “Syria Palaestina” after a Jewish insurrection around the year 132. Hadrian forbade Jews from entering the area, and demolished any remaining temples, deciding instead to erect temples to pagan gods and goddesses on the top of Mount Calvary. It was this destruction and ensuing construction of new buildings on the landscape that ensured the preservation of the holy and sacred sites of Jesus’ crucifixion, deep below the ground. More than 40 Roman Emperors later, Constantine the Great seized control of Rome in 312. It was not a smooth transition of power though, and one of the emperors, Maxentius, declared war and marched into battle with an army twice the size of Constantine’s. When Maxentius and his forces arrived on the battlefield, they were greeted by an unfamiliar symbol facing them: a cross. Most historians tell of Constantine reportedly praying before the battle that the true God might “reveal to him who he is and stretch forth his right hand to save him.” Then, marching at midday, he suddenly looked up at the noonday sky to see a bright cross of light flash among the heavens, with an inscription upon it: “In Hoc Signo Vinces” or “In this Sign Conquer.” Constantine, bolstered with the assurance that the True God had indeed heard him, inscribed the cross on their shields before advancing on Maxentius, who held a much better position for the battle near the Milvian Bridge in Rome. Maxentius’ troops were broken before the first charge had completed and he was among those who were pushed into the Tiber River and drowned. After the battle, Constantine didn’t forget who helped earn him the victory. In 313, the Edict of Milan was created as an agreement among the Roman Empire to treat Christians benevolently. This was a monumental shift, since for almost 250 years, the persecution of Christians was the norm for Roman emperors. All that changed by Constantine issuing an order that not only should the Christian Church be tolerated just as other religions are, but he went so far as to build places of worship for Christians and be baptized himself. Around the same time of Constantine’s conversion, his mother Helena also became a Christian, and she traveled to Palestine in the year 324 to search for sacred sites and relics to be reverenced. Details regarding the discovery the True Cross are lacking and often contradictory among many ancient writers, but the basis of the story is generally accepted as this: Around 326, Helena was traveling the area when an aged Jewish man who had inherited traditional knowledge of the location of the True Cross heard of Helena’s searching. He guided her to a cistern that the Cross had purportedly been thrown into. But oddly enough, after a brief excavation, laying before Helena were three crosses. But which one had held Christ? Theodoret, a biblical commentator and Christian Bishop of Cyrrhus in the 400’s, wrote a detailed account of how it was determined which was the True Cross: A woman who was either close to death or who had long been suffering an affliction of sorts was brought from the city. She touched each cross in earnest prayer, attempting to “discern the virtue residing in that of the Savior.” Nothing happened upon touching the first and second cross, but as she touched the third and final cross, she was immediately healed. It was determined that this was the True Cross of Jesus Christ, upon which His precious Blood had spilled. According to tradition, this discovery took place on May 3, 326 A.D. The Wood of the True Cross would change hands multiple times over the centuries, with the last officially recorded mention of its location in 1219, when the True Cross was offered to the Knights Templar by the Sultan of Egypt, in exchange for a siege on the city of Damietta being lifted. However, the True Cross was never delivered; the Sultan did not actually have it. Last seen in the city of Damascus, the wood upon which Jesus had hung disappeared from historical records. Luckily, many relics of the True Cross remain in the world today. In those early years following the discovery of the True Cross, fragments had been divided and distributed widely among churches. “The whole earth is full of the relics of the Cross of Christ,” wrote Cyril of Jerusalem. By the Middle Ages, there were so many churches that claimed to possess a piece of the True Cross, that John Calvin famously quipped “if all the pieces that could be found were collected together, they would make a big ship-load.” While indeed forged relics were a common occurrence around the 11th century, a study conducted by Charles Rohault de Fleury, a French architect, compared the supposed weight of the cross carried by Jesus compared to the combined volume of all known relics. He concluded that the remaining fragments together again wouldn’t reach even one-third of the size of the original Cross. His calculations placed the original volume of the True Cross at 178 million cubic millimeters. However, the combined volume of all known relics of the True Cross amount to just about 4 million cubic millimeters, meaning that almost 98% of the True Cross is lost, destroyed, or otherwise unaccounted for. Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on September 14, the anniversary of when the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was dedicated by Constantine. On Good Friday, Catholics around the world venerate the cross, the symbol of their salvation. Next Item Previous Item

Saint Anthony of Padua was born Fernando Martins de Bulhões in Lisbon, Portugal on August 14, 1195. Born into a wealthy family, he left home at age 15 to become an Augustinian Canon. Around 1220 AD, he was inspired by the faith of some Franciscan martyrs, and joined the Franciscan Order. While living in Italy, his preaching and energetic defense of the Catholic faith earned him the nickname “The Hammer of Heretics.” He led the friars in Northern Italy for many years before his death in 1231. He was officially recognized as a Doctor of the Church in 1946. St. Anthony of Padua 1195 - 1231 Feast Day: June 13 Location: Lisbon, Portugal & Padua, Italy Identifiers: Doctor of the Church, Franciscan Relic located in the: Main Church by the St. Anthony statue Type of Relic: A piece of clothing Saint Anthony of Padua, a holy miracle worker, humble preacher, and Doctor of the Church was born Fernando Martins de Bulhões in Lisbon, Portugal on August 14, 1195. Born into a wealthy family, his father was a captain in the royal army in what would one day become Portugal. Fernando’s journey as a servant of Christ began at a young age, when he left home at 15 to become an Augustinian Canon. He studied theology and Latin at the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Coimbra, before being named guest master of the abbey at 19. Around that same time, some of the first members of the Order of the Friars Minor, which St. Francis had founded in 1206 AD, traveled to Coimbra to reside in a hermitage outside of town. Fernando was attracted to their simple, evangelical lifestyle. Around 1220 AD, some of these friars went as missionaries to preach the Gospel in Morocco, where they were brutally killed for their faith. The bodies of the Franciscan martyrs were recovered, with their relics returning to Coimbra. Upon seeing the relics, Fernando felt an intense longing to join the Franciscan order, so that he too could set out and become one of those closest to Jesus: those who die for the Good News. Moved by the martyr's heroic example, Fernando begged his superiors to allow him to depart, eventually receiving permission to join the Franciscan Order in Olivais. He changed his name to Anthony, taken from the name of the chapel located at the hermitage, named in honor of Anthony the Great. In the same year he joined the Order, Anthony was sent on mission to Morocco to preach to the Moors. Shortly after arriving though, Anthony was struck with a severe illness, leaving him grievously weak. Resigned to return home, he boarded a ship back to Portugal. A storm drove the ship off-course, and the boat landed in Sicily. Anthony was given shelter by the Franciscans there, eventually residing in a quiet convent near Forli where he spent most of his time praying, reading Scripture and doing small tasks around the kitchen. That all changed, when Anthony attended an ordination ceremony, and the priest who was to give the sermon fell sick. One of the Franciscan superiors quickly asked the friars in attendance to fill in, but one-by-one, they excused themselves. Finally, Anthony was called upon. He accepted and proceeded to speak with incredible eloquence, learning and passion that all in attendance were amazed. St. Francis took notice of Anthony’s preaching abilities, and commissioned him to not only preach throughout Italy, but also to teach theology to the other friars. Many traveled from far away to hear Anthony’s preaching, which was leading way to miracles left and right. Three stories in particular helped shape the legend of St. Anthony. First, his energetic defense of the Catholic faith led many lost heretics to return to the church, thus earning the nickname “Hammer of Heretics”. Secondly, one novice at the hermitage decided to leave the hermitage, and stole one of Anthony’s valuable books he used for teaching. When Anthony discovered it missing, he prayed it would be found or returned swiftly. Not only did the thief return the book, but he also returned to join the Order as well! Lastly, while staying the night at a man’s home, Anthony was found by the man holding in his arms the Child Jesus, surrounded by heavenly light. This is the reason St. Anthony is often depicted holding a young Jesus in his arms. He led the friars in Northern Italy for many more years before settling in the city of Padua to continue preaching and serving the Lord up to his death. Anthony fell ill and on June 13th, 1231 AD, received the last sacraments, all the while smiling in the distance saying “I see my Lord”. He died at 36 years old. St. Anthony of Padua is one of the quickest canonized Saints in the history of the Catholic Church, with Pope Gregory IX declaring him among the saints the very next year. He was revered by many for helping those who had lost God find Him again, and still today, many pray to Anthony to help them in finding what is lost. In 1946, Pope Pius XII officially recognized him as a Doctor of the Church. St. Anthony of Padua was never afraid to let the tug of God’s love on his heart lead him humbly from one adventure to the next. Next Item Previous Item