Even In Little Earthly Things

When I first met my husband he gave me a birthday gift in a jewelers box, a beautiful, expensive diamond pendant, as that is my birthstone. I wore it and treasured it for many years until I became a 3rd. order Carmelite and started wearing my brown scapular along with it. One morning I woke up and although I found the chain on the floor, the pendant was missing. It must have flew off while I was changing clothes in my upstairs bedroom. For a whole YEAR I searched, never throwing away any vacuum cleaner bags even after I went through them. I was heartsick and after a year, finally decided it was gone and threw away the closit full of vacuum cleaner bags. My mom told me to pray to St. Anthony and though I had given up all hope, I did. Within an HOUR I was walking to my kitchen in the downstairs when something on the floor glinted up at me.... and as I picked up my pendant I started crying. What a blessing to know that even in little earthly things God cares about us! Thank you St. Anthony!!

Have a story of St. Anthony's help of your own to share? Email it to us and we will post it on the blog~

Everyday Miracle Worker

For me St.Anthony is an everyday miracle worker. I seek his help almost everyday and he has responded unceasingly every time to my most trivial needs. Today in the morning I missed my school bus (I work as a teacher) and I had no cash to call a cab. Being a Tuesday I knew St. Antony would come to my help. I waited patiently, and then another bus passed through that way, which I boarded. When I got in, the other teachers present in the bus told me the driver never does take that route but it so happened seeing less traffic he diverted the bus to the road I happened to be on. Just a minor incident to show how my saint helps me every time, everyday, unfailingly. Yes, miracles happen everyday. Just believe and keep the faith.

Have a story of St. Anthony's assistance of your own to share? Email it to us and we will post it on the blog to inspire others to ask for his assistance too~

Prayer For Christmas Dawn from St. Anthony

"Almighty God and Father of Light, a Child is born for us and a Son is given to us. Your Eternal Word leaped down from heaven in the silent watches of the night, and now Your church is filled with wonder at the nearness of her God. Open our hearts to receive His life and increase our vision with the rising of dawn, that our lives may be filled with His glory and His peace, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen."

Holy Infant cradeled in the arms of St. Anthony, have mercy on us~

~A most blessed Christmas to all of our blog readers~

St. Anthony's Help X 2

Since very young, my mother had told me that St.Anthony was very miraculous. When I was giving birth to my second child, I prayed for his intercession to ease the delivery. My contractions seemed less painful and faster. In no time I had my beautiful baby Valerie.

The second miracle, I had lost my wallet and I had asked the neighbors if they saw it. No sooner had I come from the grocery store, as I knelt to light the candle and start to pray, there was a loud banging on my door. My neighbor said, "your wallet has been found!" One of the neighborhood children had found it and gave it to his mother; she took out the small amount of money it contained and threw it in the closet, then locked it. Her children were home alone when we knocked on the door. They found the key and were able to give me back my wallet. I have a one on one with God, but when I ask someone to pray for me, I often turn to our Blessed Mother and St. Anthony. With faith I get answers. Thank you St. Anthony.

Lost And Found Jobs

I pray to St. Anthony all the time whenever I lose or misplace something, and I know, that if the article is there, he will help me find it (usually right away). When my husband and I lost our jobs, I prayed that St. Anthony would help us find jobs. We went a very long time without jobs, but I always believed that when the right job came along, that St. Anthony would find them for us. I got a job 6 months ago that is perfect for me. My husband just got a wonderful job that he loves. I know St. Anthony found this job for him through God's help, of course, because although he sent out numerous resumes and applied to numerous jobs, he didn't apply for this job. He was contacted by someone out of the blue. There had to be Divine Intervention. So, thank you, St. Anthony for sticking with us. Now we're working on finding a job for my daughter. I know when the right job comes along, St. Anthony will lead her to it. St. Anthony, pray for us!

Have a St. Anthony story of your own to share? Email it to us and we will post it on the blog~

Finding The Right Direction

My last Christmas with my Dad, he told me my life had to change. Even though he had made mistakes, he felt he needed to advise me. After he died, and those same things had gotten much worse, I was fixing dinner in the kitchen and thinking about him, and the thought came to me to pray to St. Anthony. I started praying and little things started happening and finally everything straightened itself out and changed my whole direction and changed my spiritual life and life direction. So the message of my story is that St. Anthony is not only the saint that helps you find lost things, but your lost direction and reason to be here, which are much more important.

St. Anthony's Email Bag - From India

Below is an email from one of our blog readers in India. He had originally emailed us asking for prayer in October of this year about a very difficult situation at work regarding a lost file, a situation that could have lost him his job. Here is his update about that situation:

Dear Sister,

I thank our Dear Saint Anthony wonderful saint and for your prayers. Today we have found out the file, when we were searching for something else. The particular staff person had hidden their personal file which contains all their personal information including disciplinary action taken against them, when we searched for the file they also joined and searched as if it was missing from my file rake. Today they were out of station on official work, but God helped us to trace the file when they were not in the office I thank our Lord Jesus through St. Anthony and you for your prayers, please pray for my job security or I must get a good job that I have applied.

Regards,

J. A. - India

Do you need prayers too? Click here.

St. Anthony Helps Find Sobriety

My daughter is one of the most courageous people I know. She has dealt with obsessive/compulsive disorder all of her young life. In her quest to feel normal she turned to drugs and alcohol. In her last incarceration she rediscovered her faith when she was sent a Saint Anthony card and medal. She prayed to be healed and was given the rare chance to enter a faith-based recovery house for a year free of charge.

I now have my precious daughter back and while she continues to fight the demons of addiction, she knows she has Saint Anthony in her corner and claims him as her patron saint. At the age of 28 she has held for two years a highly responsible job as a store supervisor of a major retail chain. They took a chance on her, knowing her history,and now want her to take additional training to become a district manager. Many miracles had to happen in this long process and we attribute them all to the intercession of Saint Anthony to our beloved Lord on her behalf.

Lost Money Found

Couldn't believe it-lost money found! A few years ago, my mom and I were headed out to the store. As we walked to the car, she told me that she was upset because she had lost a small wallet that had at least $200 in it. Without thinking, as I got into the car, I prayed to St. Anthony to help her find it. We got to the store, went in, and when we came back and were getting into the car, I looked down, and there, on the ledge of the car floor on the passenger's side, was her wallet! She had searched high and low without finding it. If it had been there before, I would have stepped over it without seeing it not once but twice while entering and exiting the car. And yet, I said the prayer to St. Anthony and there it was! Whether it miraculously appeared or he simply opened our eyes, I was extremely grateful to him for his help.

Right Away Help

After a friend telling me that St. Anthony helps you find lost things, I prayed to him after losing a sentimental earing of which I could not find for about a week. Not more that one minute after prayer, my front door slammed shut (wind?) of which I went to prop open with the door stop.... there on the floor where I propped the door stop...was my earring! Thank you St. Anthony!

Have a St. Anthony story of your own to share? Email it to us and we will share it on our blog~

Lost Diamond Earrings Found

You guys, I kid you not, prayer for St. Anthony's help worked for me!! A few weeks ago, a friend posted on a blog saying that she had lost her wedding rings. Well, someone told her to pray to St. Anthony. Now I’m thinking, pray to St. Anthony? Long story short, I lost a pair of diamond earrings months before. They were some earrings that my husband gave to me as a wedding gift. I was heart broken because they were no where to be found. Well, of course, I googled St. Anthony and I found that St. Anthony is the Patron Saint of Lost and Found. Needless to say, I prayed the St. Anthony prayer, and I kid you not, about 2 weeks later, (last tuesday to be exact) I found my earrings!! They had been missing 8 whole months!! For some reason, I felt the need to clean up my shoe pile, so I went and bought a shoe rack. While I was sorting thru my shoes, the earrings fell out of one of my sneakers!! And they were hooked together! I was blown away!! So thank you, St. Anthony!!

Ygnacia's note: Tuesday is the day normally associated with St. Anthony.

Finding A Bracelet, Just In Time

For 2 months my mom was in ICU, and then she passed away. For the duration of her stay in hospital I searched everywhere for a bracelet of hers, a simple silver band that she always wore (she gave me an identical one), but I couldn't find it anywhere. I wanted to put it on her so she could be buried with it. One night I asked St. Anthony for help so that I could find it in time. The next day I was driving to her wake, I looked in the cup holder of her car and I found the bracelet just sitting there. Absolutely amazing.

St. Anthony Helps Find Lost Souls

Whenever I lost anything as a child, my grandmother would tell me not to worry, just to pray to St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost things, and it would be found. I'd often return to her a half hour later, holding up whatever I lost and she'd say "See? St. Anthony always comes through."

As I grew older, I went to her with other problems. She would still tell me to pray to St. Anthony. I would make a face, caught in the adolescent mire that convinced me my problems were beyond repair. One day after I rolled my eyes at her, my grandmother said to me, her blue eyes tearing up "St. Anthony isn't just for finding lost things. He also deals with lost souls." "Lost souls?" She nodded. "And if he can handle that, I think he can handle just about anything."

There wasn't much I could say to that, so I shut up, stopped rolling my eyes and gave St. Anthony another try, even though my problem du jour seemed insurmountable. It wasn't solved in a half hour or even a day, but I found that prayer and time did heal it. I began to grow up and learn that healing something doesn't always mean that what we're fixated on gets better. Often, we heal when we accept things and move on.

Prayer to St. Anthony is not just for the lost things in my life, but to help me keep my perspective when I face unanswered questions or when I struggle to find words to comfort a friend.

St. Anthony can find anything. Most importantly, for anyone who feels despair, he can even help us find our faith when we think it's lost.

Social Security Card - Lost & Found

My son and his family was moving home to Beaumont. I rode with him back to Houston, Texas last Sunday to pick up a few things from his house. The main thing he needed was his social security card for his new job.
When we got to the house, he went to the place he thought the card was and it wasn't there. He told me to check in a file cabinet in one of the bedrooms while he looked somewhere else. Neither of us could find the card. We went on to load up other things from his list and, from time to time, we'd look for the card.
After packing and shuffling around for a half hour or so, I decided it was time to get Saint Anthony involved. I said, "St. Anthony, something is lost and must be found." Right after I said the prayer to St. Anthony, my son said, "Check that file cabinet again." This time when I checked the cabinet, although I still didn't find the card, I pulled four folders that I thought he might need later, even though they weren't on his list of things to bring home. He said, "I don't really have a place to keep those." I said, "I'll keep them at my house. It might save you a trip to Houston later. You never know." Eventually, we gave up on finding the card. On the drive back home, I again mentioned the file folders I had insisted on bringing home. I told him, "You know, you just never know when you might have an emergency need for your marriage license or that other stuff I grabbed. "
Those file folders kept nipping at my brain. I didn't think the social security card was in them, but I was certain he'd need something else in those folders before his next trip back to the house in Houston. When I got home that evening, I unloaded all the things I brought back from the house in Houston to keep at my house. I put the folders upstairs and didn't give them much thought. Later that evening, I went up to my office to check my e-mail and saw the folders. Instead of putting them in the file drawer in my desk, I decided to look through them first. The first folder I opened, the "Wedding Stuff" folder, had an envelope in it. Inside the envelope? The social security card. St. Anthony rocks.

Gold Medal Help

My mother was awarded a gold medal when she participated in a piano contest as a young woman. Years later, she lost the medal in Oceanside, California. I was a child then, and it seems to me that she prayed to St. Anthony for over a month.

The medal turned up in Tijuana, Mexico, and was returned by a man who recognized her maiden name on the medal. The miracle was that the medal was taken to Mexico and back, and that our family name was known in Mexico. It was all a marvel and a miracle. St. Anthony continues to help us all.

Finding Prayer and Faith

I had been frantic trying to find my nursing licenses, why I would have misplaced it is beyond me. I have been a nurse for 20 years and had never misplaced it, so why now? I think to slow down and take the time to pray!!
Without it I could not work, so you see why I was so frantic!! Someone told me to pray to the Saint of lost things, and I didn't know who that was, so I was at my wits end and totally at a loss. So I sat down and looked up Saint Anthony. I stopped, took a deep breath and prayed for assistance. I was expecting it to just appear...lol but to no avail, I couldn't find it.
It wasn't until I was on my knees, near tears and the fear of not being able to go back to work, that I prayed out loud, going through everything I could think of. To my surprise it was in a place I never thought to think of. Funny how that works, just picked up an object and there it was, laying there. I fell back on my knees, praising and thanking St. Anthony and Jesus, God and Mary and anyone else I could think of.
It took me to lose something for me to take time out to pray and mean it from my heart and soul, not just words, but really mean it. I definitely make sure to always find time to pray now, from the heart, from my soul, and never take prayer for granted.
I had to tell my story, that you can't just ask and have it appear like magic......you have to continue your journey of finding what is lost - and I didn't just find my licenses, I found my Faith and my Father in Heaven once again!!

Have a story of St. Anthony helping to find something of yours - health, faith, an object, etc..? Email it to us and we will post it on our blog~

Faith Returning

Poor St. Anthony gets worn out from getting called on by me for help with lost objects, but he always comes through. :) Even my protestant husband will ask if I have called on St. Anthony.

Great story: Years ago, during my teaching career, a young colleague came into my room after school in search of a misplaced grade book. I hardly knew him, but a hunch had me ask him if he was Catholic. He told me, “No, but I was raised Catholic”. When he indicated that he would not do so, I told him. as he was leaving the room, that I would pray to St. Anthony on his behalf.

Seconds later, he came in astonished at having found the grade book in a place where he had looked several times.

Some days after this incident, he had misplaced his wallet at home and was tearing his house apart looking for it. In the meantime, he got a call from his grandmother, the woman who had raised him Catholic. He said that she told him to pray to St. Anthony. He was annoyed and told her she sounded like “a woman I work with” (me). But he related that after he got off the phone he fell to his knees and asked for our dear saint’s help. And, of course, St. Anthony came through again.

Finding More Than Asked For

I had been looking for my house keys for over an hour when I called my mom to ask if she had any insights about where I could look. I followed her suggestions but the keys were nowhere. At last she said, "Well, St. Anthony might help you..." She told me to light a candle, which I did, and say what she told me to say: "St. Anthony, I am a good person and I need your help. Please help me find my keys."

I put the match down, took two steps, and saw my glasses case on the floor (which I'd been looking for for a month), and right by the case were my keys. It was less than 10 seconds since I had asked for his help.

Thank you, St. Anthony. I am going to go to St. Anthony's Church here in our city and make an offering before this day is over.

A Thanksgiving To St. Anthony

It is generally believed that one of the most acceptable devotions that can be offered to Saint Anthony to obtain any favor, or in thanksgiving for a favor received, is the recital of the Creed. To it many of his clients add the aspiration,

"St Anthony, beloved of God and man, pray for us."

Click here if you would also like a prayer to St. Anthony in thanksgiving for answered prayer.

St. Anthony Hears

My husband had lost one of his very expensive hearing aids in his truck several months ago. He searched all over his truck for it; he looked in his shirt, under the seats, everywhere. He had resolved himself to the loss of the hearing aid. He realized he really needed to buy another hearing aid so he could hear better. I told him we were going to pray to St. Anthony because we needed a miracle and that he would find it for us. My husband had told me he had the truck vacuumed and it could not be there. But I told him we would pray anyway and if we should find it he would have to give St. Anthony something as a thankgiving offering for his intercession. We prayed through St. Anthony's intercession.
Shortly after that as we were getting out of the truck, I was led to look down at the floorboard of the truck and there it was. My husband was astonished. It was a miracle. It saved us a lot of money because hearing aids are quite expensive. Thank you, St. Anthony, for your miracle-working power with us today.

Have a miraculous story of St. Anthony's help of your own to share? Email it to us and we will share it on our blog~

The Story of St. Anthony of Padua

Thank you to 'Signs, Wonders, and Miracles' for this overview of the life of St. Anthony, set to the Marian hymn Salve Regina.

Good Saint Anthony, pray for us~

St. Anthony Finds Keys

I was visiting with my son in Arizona. My wife and I were staying in our travel trailer. My son was at work, the grandchildren were in school and my wife had taken her mother, who was staying with us at the time, to the mall. I decided to go for a ride around the desert and began looking for my truck keys. Now in a travel trailer there are not too many places to put keys. But somehow I had misplaced the keys to the truck.

I searched the trailer from front to back and outside along the sandy walkway thinking I might have dropped them when I came into the house the other day. No luck.

The dining table is right in front of the door as you enter the trailer; it is small and doesn't hold much. I had taken everything off the table at least twice that I can remember but could not find the keys.

I walked outside again and the thought came to mind, "St. Anthony, patron of lost things," and I remembered the little prayer I read: "Tony, Tony, turn around, something is lost and must be found." Upon finishing the prayer I walked back into the trailer. The keys were lying in the middle of the dining table. I almost lost my breath. I reached out and touched the keys; sure enough, they were real. They were not there five minutes ago. I could not have missed them when I cleaned the table; they were on a keychain with a fob to open the doors and there were other keys on the ring also. I could not have overlooked it.

Did Saint Anthony hear and answer my prayers? Well, I found my keys or St. Anthony returned them to me. Yes, I do believe.

A Cancer Scare Relieved

Today my only child was to receive results of a cancer scan. She only told me last Wednesday about this health scare. I was terrified, she is only 32 and has a son to bring up as a lone parent. I prayed to St Anthony yesterday that the scan would be clear, and this morning she was told by the oncologist that all is clear and that she is a healthy woman. The relief is indescribable. I thank Almighty God and his Saint Anthony for this reply to our prayers. I hope later this year to thank Saint Anthony at his tomb in Padua.

St. Anthony Points the Way

My daughter was looking for a shirt she had to have for cheer leading practice. She had searched the entire house and still couldn't find it. I said a quick prayer to St. Anthony to help me find the shirt. I stopped and listened and he pointed the way to her room and to her bed. Sure enough, the shirt had been tangled in her sheets. Thanks again, Good Saint Anthony~

Prayer to the Infant Jesus in the Arms of St. Anthony

Sweet Infant Jesus, You best and only hope of afflicted souls, I prostrate myself at Your feet and ask You, through Your immeasurable love and grace, by which You did visit Your blessed servant St. Anthony, and comfort and embrace him, to come to me at his intercession and let me taste how sweet Your presence is to the souls that trust in You. Amen.

Ygnacia's Own Stories - A Math Book Found

The stories that I read on our blog, whether a little victory or an impressive find, thanks to the intersession of St. Anthony, continue to inspire me to ask for and believe more in his assistance. So, I will occationally add my own personal stories, here is a recent one:

I was about to give my homeschooling daughter a math test, so I went to the crate that I keep all of my curriculum, lesson plans, and school books in to get the test book. I searched the crate over and over, looking at every book and binder - no luck. I tried to retrace my steps, looking at other places in the house - not found. I looked for a week, off and on - nope, nothing, nada. Finally, as I was thinking about the irony of having a St. Anthony lost and found blog and not being able to find something myself, I said to St. Anthony, 'Please St. Anthony, I have this blog about you, show me personally how powerful your intersession can be, help me find the book." I said this prayer, and then walked into the room where I keep my homeschool crate - I casually looked into the crate, and immediately found the book, inside a binder. How many times had I looked in that crate over the past week, and then to find it so fast??

Now you can say that it was just coincidence, luck, I need to get my eyes checked, whatever, but I know in my heart that St. Anthony heard me and generously interceded for me. Thank you, St. Anthony.

God in His goodness is showing me in this and in many other ways to trust and rely on Him more. And in the future, keeping better track of where I put things can't hurt either~

I Was Stunned

Desert Storm had just started, so I was leaving Tehran, Iran. At the airport, two guys in battle dress stopped me and emptied my briefcase and my carry-on on the floor. By the time I had gathered my belongings, the two guys were gone. In the plane, before takeoff, I learned from an Iranian lady sitting next to me that it was what they do. While people gathered their scattered stuff, they spot what they want, and steal it. They know that no one leaving Iran is allowed to take anything out of the country, and that the Iranian currency can’t be exchanged abroad. So people hide their hard currency, jewels, gold, and precious stones to barter when leaving Iran.
While talking to me she had been searching in her purse, and suddenly started to cry. She had hidden her wedding ring and other jewels in an aspirin tube and it was gone! I tried to comfort her, and told her I was going to pray to a good friend of mine to help us. I talked to St. Anthony of Padua and told him something like, “I don’t know this lady, I don’t know her family, and I’m positive the guys at the airport stole the jewels. I have no idea how you’re going to bring those jewels from the airport into this plane, especially now that the gate is closed, but look at her distress! Please help her!” Barely two minutes later, the stewardess passed along the aisle with the tube in her hand, asking whose it was. Wow! I believed my prayer could be answered, of course, but still, I was stunned!

Have a story of St. Anthony's help in your life? Email it to us and we will post it on the blog to inspire others to seek his intersession~

Finding The Other Earring

Ten years ago I noticed only one pearl earring sitting on my desk. The earrings were given to me by my husband on the birth of our first child. They are very special and I wear them almost every day. I began to pray to St. Anthony as I looked frantically around the desk. All of a sudden I heard a "ping" and saw the missing earring on the floor far away from the desk. It had not been there moments before and this was witnessed by both my daughters and me. Thank you St. Anthony.

A Quick Prayer

I had lost my wallet with my birth certificate in it. I needed it for a licensing application form, I looked through the entire house for a week and could not find it. While lying in bed one morning an inner voice had said pray to Saint Anthony for your wallet. I said a quick prayer and later that day my daughter found my wallet.

Thank You St. Anthony.

Prayer to St. Anthony, Restorer of Sight to the Blind

Dear St. Anthony, you recall the Gospel episode about the blind man who, partly healed, could see men "looking like walking trees." After a second laying-on of Jesus's hands, he could see perfectly. St. Anthony, Restorer of Sight to the Blind, please sharpen my spiritual vision. May I see people, not as trees or numbers, but as sons and daughters of the Most High. Please also help me in my pressing needs. (Name your special intentions.) Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...

Thanks to San Antonio

I am originally from Mexico, where it is traditional for single women to ask for San Antonio's intercession to find a husband. After hearing the testimony of two of my friends, I decided to try it myself. I am happy to report that I am now happily married to a wonderful man. Thank you, San Antonio.

Lost Keys Found

A thank you to jovan66102 from the Fisheaters Forum for this great story:

Years ago, I was a storekeeper at the gymnasium at Kansas University. One of my duties was to unlock the gym and Fieldhouse when I was on the early shift, so I had all the keys to both buildings. One cold, snowy morning, when I wasn't on the early shift, my wife needed the car to drive to work, so I helped her get the kids ready for day-care and rode with her while we dropped them off. Then I walked from the day-care to the gym. I was wearing an old army great coat with my keys on a belt loop. When I got to the gym, I took my coat off and instinctively reached for my keys. They were gone! I panicked and called the building supervisor and told him I was taking off to look for them. I carefully retraced my path all the way to where I had started and then back, looking at the ground the whole way. No luck! I got back to the gym and called the university locksmith to tell him that he would need to change all the locks on the buildings. The locksmith, a Catholic and fellow Knight of Columbus reminded me of St. Anthony, so I asked him for his intercession and promised a Mass in his honor if he would help me. During the lunch hour, as people were coming in to work out or play sports, someone asked me how I was doing. I replied, 'Not so good' and told him what had happened. He told me to check in his department office across the street because one of their grad students had found some keys that morning. I ran across the street to find that my keys had been found in the slush in the middle of one of the busiest intersection in town with no damage and no evidence that they had even been run over.

Prayer To St. Anthony For Employment

Blessed St. Anthony, who in life was ever mindful of the needs of the afflicted, consuming yourself in the service of God and for the good of souls, who was the enemy of idleness and a tireless worker in the vineyard of the Lord, beseech God to grant me a suitable job, which may procure for me and my loved ones a decent livelihood, and be at the same time a means of personal sanctification and of real service to others. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...
St. Anthony, helper in all necessities, pray for us.

Has St. Anthony's intercession helped you to find a job? Please Email us with your stories, to help encourage other people to ask for the help of Good Saint Anthony in their own search for employment~

St. Anthony's Comment Box Quotes - From Blogger Anonymous 2

This from Quirky Catholic:

Blogger Anonymous 2 said...

St. Anthony please help me find my key ring with my house keys, car keys, everything!

7:57 PM

Blogger Anonymous 2 said...

St. Anthony THANK YOU! I found my keys this morning! After praying the Novena last night, I had a vision of the exact place where my keys would be. Thank you!!!! I'll continue to pray for all the people who are still missing lost articles!!! THANK YOU!!!

4:46 AM

Finding Lost Research

A thank you to StrictCatholicGirl from the Fisheaters Forum for this amazing story:

In my last computer crash I lost a TON of research, I'm talking hundreds of pages of research for a book I was writing about the stained glass windows in the church of my childhood. It included historical research, technical research, and all the translations of the Latin script in the arch of the windows - not to mention all the bible verses from whence they came. After the crash I abandoned the project, because the thought of going back and redoing all the research was maddening, an impossible feat.

So one day I was praying to St. Anthony to help me find an old photo I had misplaced, and while searching for the photo I came upon a box with a large manila envelope. Inside was a manuscript, THE manuscript with ALL the research. Long ago I had printed a hard copy and had forgotten all about it. You can imagine my elation! Unfortunately, that manuscript did not include the disk of all the photographs of the stained glass windows. And I really needed those photos, with all their glorious details, to write the detailed chapters.

So last week at work I was cleaning out one of my messy desk drawers. The drawer contained dozens of prayer cards and novenas to St. Anthony. I thought to myself, I can't pitch these. I'll keep a few of them and put the rest in the back of church for other people to take. Then, lo and behold, underneath all the holy cards of the Lost-and-Found Saint, I found the disk with the photographs of all the stained glass windows.

So.... the project is back on! And this time I'm backing up my work on a disk. By the way, one of those stained glass windows is of St. Anthony of Padua, the Wonder Worker.



Si quaeris miracula....

If, then, thou seekest miracles....



Ora pro nobis, beate Antoni.

Pray for us, blessed Anthony.

St. Anthony Put to the Test

A thank you to Melkite from the Fisheaters Forum for this great story:

In high school, I had a friend who was the daughter of a Lutheran deacon, and a moderately anti-Catholic one at that. My friend was unable to find something, having searched her entire room looking for it. I told her about the St. Anthony prayer, she said it was hogwash, and then I dared her to try it. So she did, and sure enough, not 5 minutes later she found what she had been looking for in a drawer she had ransacked several times already looking for this item.

Quote About St. Anthony From Pope Leo XIII

"St. Anthony does not belong to the city of Padua alone, he is a Saint of the whole world." - Pope Leo XIII

Finding a Ring, Finding a Soul

A thank you to AxxeArp from the Fisheaters Forum for this inspiring story:

6 years ago, my brother and his future wife lived with my grandfather, to keep him company and to make sure he was alright. They would work during the day and had supper with him every night and slept at granddad’s place. (My brother and sister-in-law lived in separate bedrooms, so no lectures please about scandal). At supper time, granddad would talk about the Catholic Faith, and the world and other things, but the thing that most impressed my sister-in-law was grandad’s devotion to St Anthony. Granddad claimed he could find any lost object, no problem, by saying a prayer to St Anthony. My sister-in-law had no religious upbringing. She was never even baptized. Faith seemed to be a strange thing to her, and this idea that you could find lost objects through praying to someone seemed even odder. My sister-in-law though loved my grandfather and the dinner talks. My sister-in-law never had a family life like this. Her family was a wreck, she was actually kicked out of her house for no reason what-so-ever, which is how she ended up living with my granddad. Anyways, the warm Christian atmosphere of my brother and granddad made an impression on her.
Two years later my grandfather passed away and my brother and sister-in-law were married. My brother worked very hard to buy a beautiful engagement ring and a wedding ring. A few months after the wedding, my sister-in-law lost her engagement / wedding ring! She was devastated. She lost it at work, and she searched everywhere but could not find it. She was in tears and panicked. After about a week, she remembered granddad’s promises about St Anthony. She said a little prayer to St Anthony and then went to work. When she got to work, she sat down at her desk, said her prayer to Saint Anthony again and just as she finished she saw something shining. Her ring was under her desk! Now she checked their about a million times prior to this. There was no way she missed it before, but there it was! Finding her ring was the spark my sister-in-law needed! She started taking seriously the claims of the Catholic Faith. Shortly after these events she entered RCIA and was baptized into the Catholic Faith. Granddad had found one more lost object with the help of Saint Anthony, this time it was my sister-in-law’s soul.

Saint Anthony Quote - Humility

"Just as the root feeds the tree, so humility feeds the soul. The spirit of humility is sweeter than honey, and whoever is fed by this sweetness produces fruit." -St. Anthony of Padua, Sermon for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

St. Anthony's Comment Box Quotes - From Blogger Mary

Blogger Mary said...

July 31st, 2011 10:33 am

Thank you dear St. Anthony for answering my prayers. As my daughter labored with her first baby I asked you to help them find their way to a healthy delivery. And, though she came close to a C-section, my prayer to you was answered and she safely delivered her precious son. Then again, as she struggled with nursing her baby, I asked you to help them find their way together. And, once more, you did. I tell everyone I can about your positive role in my life and I thank you fromt he bottom of my heart. Whenever I invoke your help, I always say that I know there are many more important losses than mine - one's health, children, financial resources - and yet you answer my prayer all the same. I envision you in another life, sitting with the ones I've loved and lost, working to help me through my difficulties. It is such a peaceful, joyful vision for me. Till next time....

Prayer to St. Anthony for the Health of an Expectant Mother and Her Unborn Child

In honor of the 40 Days For Life campaign that starts today, we offer this prayer:

Glorious St. Anthony, you were blessed to hold the Infant Jesus in your arms. I come to you now on behalf of (mention name) and plead for the health and safety of the child that God has graced her to conceive. St. Anthony, guard this life God has created, and the mother God has chosen for this child. Let your gentle hand, like that of a skilled physician, aid in her delivery so that this baby will know good health and lasting happiness. May her child be favored with the grace of holy baptism, and grow to love our Lord Jesus Christ above all else in this world. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...

Seeing Is Believing

I am very short-sighted, and cannot see without my contact lenses. I dropped a lens while cleaning them, and couldn't see to find it. I am a widow, living alone, and had no one to help. I was due to visit my daughter at university very soon, and was afraid I couldn't get a replacement lens in time. Not only that, the cost was a great worry to me. (I have no eyeglasses.) After three hours searching the bathroom inch by inch on hands and knees with a torch, and dismantling the sink drain, I prayed with all my heart to St. Anthony to help me. I went to bed, and after half an hour woke and felt oddly compelled to look again . Amazingly, the lens was right in the door of the bathroom. I had walked over it at least 20 times, and thought I had looked there already, but there it was, intact, thanks to St. Anthony.

St. Anthony's Comment Box Quotes - From Blogger Shrugger

This from Quirky Catholic:

Blogger shugger said...

St. Anthony, I pray that you help Jenette find her social security card. She needs it for her job interview tomorrow.

10:14 PM



Blogger shugger said...

Dear St. Anthony, Thank you. You instantly helped Jenette. She found her social security card, only 3 seconds after I typed in my prayer request to you. Thank you!!!

10:18 PM

Prayer to Saint Anthony, Disperser of Devils

Dear St. Anthony, it is still as St. Peter said: The devil prowls about, lion-like, looking for someone to devour. I confess that I don't always resist him; I sometimes toy with temptation. St. Anthony, Disperser of Devils, remind me of my duty to avoid near occasions of sin. May I always pray in temptation that I may remain loyal to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Pray for my other intentions, please. (Name them.) Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...

St. Anthony In A Dream

I am Greek Orthodox and had a dream four weeks ago. Two nuns brought me to a green garden. One nun spoke to me the word "Padua." She pointed to a double-tiered tomb with lit candelabra on top. As the other nun pushed aside the lid, there was revealed the reposed body of a monk. While I never saw his face, I had a feeling it was St. Anthony. The next day I went to the Web sites about St. Anthony and to the link of his tomb. It was identical to the one in my dream. I have no idea what the message of the dream was, but a week later I was introduced to a nun with whom I shared my dream. She told me that perhaps this was God's way of telling me to deepen my faith. Since then, I have prayed to St. Anthony many times for lost objects and for help. He has never failed me.

St. Anthony's Comment Box Quotes - From Blogger Anonymous

This from Quirky Catholic:

Blogger Anonymous said...

St. Anthony, please help my daughter find her keys and ID from college. Guide her to where they are or let some kind soul return them to her. Thank you!

8:00 AM



Blogger Anonymous said...

Thank you, St. Anthony -- my daughter's keys have been found. That was so quick. Thank you with all my heart.

9:57 AM

Prayer to St. Anthony, Model of Perfection

Dear St. Anthony, you took the words of Jesus seriously, "Be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect." The Church honors you as a Christian hero, a man wholly dedicated to God's glory and the good of the redeemed. St. Anthony, Model of Perfection, ask Jesus to strengthen my good dispositions and to make me more like you, more like Him. Obtain for me the other favors I need. (Name them.) Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...

St. Anthony And A Cross

I was first introduced to St. Anthony over 40 years ago. I was working in Long Island City at the time, and I went out to lunch with the girls in the office. Walking back to work, I suddenly noticed my beautiful gold crucifix was missing. This crucifix had been around my neck since I was 12 years old and I had never removed it. My dad had given it to me, and I was heartbroken over losing it. I retraced my steps to the restaurant, then rechecked my steps carefully back to work. In the office I opened drawers and searched through papers, thinking I might have dropped it while I was filing. I did not miss an inch of the floors, and I was even on my hands and knees searching under the desks. I overlooked nothing including the restroom, but no luck! It was gone, and that was for sure. That night when I got home I passed my neighbor in the hall. After I told her about the crucifix, she said to me, "Pray to St. Anthony; he can find anything." So that night I prayed to St. Anthony and told him how much this cross meant to me. The next morning I prayed and I also looked again. This went on for over two weeks. I kept rechecking my office and all the blocks along the way to the restaurant, and then the restaurant itself. But by the third week, I finally told myself to forget it and I gave up. I hadn't seen my neighbor in all this time. When I saw her again, she was surprised to hear I hadn't found my cross. She asked me if I had lit a candle in church in front of St. Anthony's statue. She insisted I try this. To myself I said how ridiculous it would be to light a candle, when it was obvious I would not find my cross after so long a time. The next morning at work, this was still bothering me, so I went to a church on my lunch hour to light a candle. But now I was so upset that I found myself yelling at St. Anthony. I recall the last thing I said to him before leaving the church: "I haven't asked you to find a meaningless thing, but a symbol of Christ, and if you were real you'd make sure I got my cross back today!" I rushed back to work, still mad. I had missed my lunch hour for this! Just as I sat down at my desk, I heard the porter say, "Did anyone lose a cross?" I jumped up and yelled, "I did! I did!" He bent down, picked up the cross and said, "Here you go. You must have just dropped it." Suddenly I felt strangely calm and said to him, "You're right; it must have been dropped here today." To myself I said my thanks to St. Anthony, asked him to forgive me and told him I would never doubt him again. Of course I never have!

Have a Saint Anthony story of your own that you would like to share? Email it to us and we will post it on our blog~

St. Anthony's Comment Box Quotes - From Blogger Michelle_b_2000

This from Quirky Catholic:

Blogger michelle_b_2000 said...

St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please turn around. Something lost must be found. I have lost my platinum diamond engagement ring which was my deceased mother-in-laws. My family is devastated and so disappointed in me. Please help me find my rings. Lost in Maryland

12:30 AM



Blogger michelle_b_2000 said...

My blessings to St. Anthony. I found it within minutes of posting my prayer. I was not a believer, but I am now.

12:34 AM

Prayer to St. Anthony, Zealous for Justice

Dear St. Anthony, you were prompt to fulfill all justice. You gave God and His creation the service He required from you. You treated others as beloved Children of God, with kindness, respect, and understanding. St. Anthony, Zealous for Justice, teach me the beauty of this virtue. Make me prompt to fulfill all justice toward God and toward all people. Please also help me in my pressing needs (Name them.) Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...

iPod - Lost and Found

Once I let a friend of mine borrow my iPod. It had been a few months and I still hadn't gotten it back. She looked for it everywhere and it was nowhere to be found. I told her to look one more time and to say, "Tony Tony look around, something is lost and must be found." The next morning it was lying on her mom's bed and no one had put it there. I was so amazed!

Prayer to St. Anthony, Protector and Guide of Pilgrims

Dear St. Anthony, we are all pilgrims. We came from God and we are going to Him. He who created us will welcome us at journey's end. The Lord Jesus is preparing a place for all His brothers and sisters. St. Anthony, Guide of Pilgrims, direct my steps in the straight path. Protect me until I am safely home in heaven. Help me in all my needs and difficulties (Name them.) Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...

Help Comes in Pairs

My husband gave me two pairs of shoes to return to the store. When I got ready to leave, I found I had forgotten my keys, so I placed the shoes on the top of the car. After returning to the car, I simply got in and left without putting the shoes inside. When I discovered that the shoes were gone, I called upon St. Anthony to help me. My grandsons didn't believe there was any chance of finding them. We retraced all the roads I had been on, but couldn't find them. About the same time this happened, we found a cat. I placed an ad in the paper to find its owner. While checking that ad, I saw another ad which stated that two pairs of shoes had been found on my street. Yes, they were our pairs of shoes. Now my two grandsons also ask for St. Anthony's help.

Have a story of St. Anthony's help of your own to share? Email it to us and we will post it on the blog~

Irish Ring Lost & Found

I have had St. Anthony as a special friend for years. He has helped me find numerous items. The first items were money to buy gas so I could get to work. The next miracle occurred when I thought I had lost my Claddaugh ring. I looked for about a year, but never asked for St. Anthony's intercession because I felt I could find it. I was sure it was in my bedroom, so checked my vacuum, emptied and strained all contents of the bag and continued this practice. I kept hoping it would be found. I finally said a prayer to St. Anthony. It was within a day that I went to an often-used plastic container for jewelry. There was my ring in plain sight. I had checked that container numerous times before, so I know it was another of St. Anthony's miracles.

St. Anthony's Comment Box Quotes - From Blogger Julie

This from Quirky Catholic:

Blogger Julie said...

Saint Anthony pray that I find my wedding ring! Thnk you. 8:43 AM

Blogger Julie said...

Thank you Saint Anthony for your help in finding my ring!!!! I found my ring within minutes of leaving a comment. My ring has been lost for eight months!!!!! 9:18 AM

A Contact Lens at the Beach

In the 1960's I wore "hard" contact lenses which at the time were fairly expensive—$400.00. I lost one while singing around a bonfire at night on a sandy beach. A group of us looked for it—a contact lens in sand! The next morning I offered Mass and Communion to St. Anthony for the return of the lens. About one hour later, answering a knock at our cottage door, there was a young person wondering if this was the place where a person had lost a contact lens and would this be it? A "hard" contact lens in his hand. It was. My non-Catholic friend almost converted on the spot!

Peanuts and Glasses

I lost my glasses and my husband told me to pray to St. Anthony. I looked everywhere 3 times, then I prayed. The next day I was throwing peanuts on the outside deck for the squirrels and it was quite windy. I wanted to watch the peanuts to see how long they'd stay with the wind and there in the middle of the peanuts were my glasses. It had been very windy all day. Why didn't they blow off the deck sooner? How did they even get on the deck? So, thank you St. Anthony!

Finding Lost Luggage

Returning from a vacation this past spring, a friend and I were stranded because our connecting flight was canceled due to weather. We could not get a flight out for 2 days. My friend called some local relative and they agreed to come pick us up and allow us to stay in their house for the time. The only problem was that our luggage was still on course to be sent home. We went to the baggage office and asked if they could pull it for us and the woman behind the counter told us it was not possible. We persisted and she finally called someone in charge of luggage. She got off the phone and told us that there are many people waiting for luggage and since it is dark, raining, and there are thousands of bags, it could take 4 hours or longer. My friend and I went to sit by the carousel to wait. A woman walked by who had just got her luggage and I congratulated her. She told me that she had been waiting since 4:00--it was now after 9. I decided to say a prayer to St. Anthony that he would find our luggage and have it sent to us. I also texted my mom and brother asking them to do the same. 20 minutes later, we see our luggage come down the carousel. It is a huge airport and it probably took 20 minutes just to get the luggage from the terminal to the baggage claim area. I know that St. Anthony found it for us.

Litany of Saint Anthony

Litany of Saint Anthony (For Private Use)
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
St. Anthony of Padua, (pray for us)
St. Anthony, glory of the Friars Minor,
St. Anthony, ark of the testament,
St. Anthony, sanctuary of heavenly wisdom,
St. Anthony, destroyer of worldly vanity,
St. Anthony, conqueror of impurity,
St. Anthony, example of humility,
St. Anthony, lover of the Cross,
St. Anthony, martyr of desire,
St. Anthony, generator of charity,
St. Anthony, zealous for justice,
St. Anthony, terror of infidels,
St. Anthony, model of perfection,
St. Anthony, consoler of the afflicted,
St. Anthony, restorer of lost things,
St. Anthony, defender of innocence,
St. Anthony, liberator of prisoners,
St. Anthony, guide of pilgrims,
St. Anthony, restorer of health,
St. Anthony, performer of miracles,
St. Anthony, restorer of speech to the mute,
St. Anthony, restorer of hearing to the deaf,
St. Anthony, restorer of sight to the blind,
St. Anthony, disperser of devils,
St. Anthony, reviver of the dead.
St. Anthony, tamer of tyrants,
From the snares of the devil, through your intercession St. Anthony deliver us.
From thunder, lightning and storms, through your intercession St. Anthony deliver us.
From all evil of body and soul, through your intercession St. Anthony deliver us.
Through your intercession, St. Anthony protect us.
Throughout the course of life, with your prayers St. Anthony protect us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V. St. Anthony, pray for us.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray
O my God, may the pious commemoration of St. Anthony, your Confessor and Proctor, give joy to your Church, that she may ever be strengthened with your spiritual assistance and merit to attain everlasting joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint Anthony's Bread

"St. Anthony's Bread" goes back to 1263 AD, when a child drowned near the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua as it was still being built. The mother besought St. Anthony and promised that if her child were restored to life, she would give to the poor an amount of wheat equal to the weight of her child. Her son was saved, and her promise was kept. "St. Anthony's Bread," then, is the promise of giving alms in return for a favor asked of God through St. Anthony's intercession (the custom also takes place throughout the year when parents give alms after placing their baby under the patronage of St. Anthony). In some places, the custom has a literal parallel in that loaves of bread might be blessed and given away at church or, generally, to the poor. If St. Anthony intersession has helped you in your life and you would like to give alms in thanksgiving to him, click here to read about an Anthonian Hospital in Africa that is in real need of help to assist the poor in their area.

Keys - Lost and Found

For the past three days I had been searching for my house keys, which I lost at home. I already had two keys that enabled me to enter my house but I needed all the keys in the bunch in order to live a normal life, such as being able to open my letter box. After discussing this situation with a friend, she asked me to pray to God to assist me in finding the keys. I told her that we have a saint whom we pray to for lost items. I quickly searched the Web and I saw it was Saint Anthony of Padua. I saw a prayer to him regarding lost things and I said the prayer twice. I was not too optimistic since I had already searched everywhere without success. After two hours I went to sit down on the sofa where I normally watch TV. My mind suddenly told me to look right at the corner of the cushion and I saw my hand extending towards the corner. Immediately there were my keys. There is almost a zero chance that I would have searched for the keys where I found them. I felt humbled. Thank God and thank Saint Anthony of Padua.

Have a story of St. Anthony's help in your life? Email it to us and we will post it on our blog~

Saint Anthony Quote - Regarding the Virgin Mary

"O name of Mary! Joy in the heart, honey in the mouth, melody to the ear of her devout clients."

-- Saint Anthony of Padua

Become a 'Devout Client' of the Blessed Virgin Mary - To learn more about the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary visit here

The Gift of Speech

I found out that not only is St. Anthony the patron saint of lost things, but he was also a very eloquent speaker. My son is a freshman in high school; he works very hard but sometimes is not very confident. He had to attend a competition where he had to make a speech. Public speaking is not for everyone. That morning, he woke up and was very worried that he would not do well, even though he prepared for several weeks. After he left for the competition very nervous and worried, I prayed to St. Anthony to give my son the power to speak as eloquently as him. I just did not want my son to be embarrassed and feel ashamed. I asked St. Anthony to make my son happy with whatever he could do. Well, not only did my son not embarrass himself, he was one of the finalist in the competition. Thank you Saint Anthony, you have always been there for us!

Friends Help Friends

St. Anthony has been my best friend since I was in the fifth grade. I am now 72 years old. Whenever I have asked him to help me find anything, he has never let me down. One time I went to visit a friend who was frantic because she said she had lost her mortgage check, which was a certified check from the bank. I told her to ask St. Anthony to help her find it and she said she had already done so. I asked her then, "Do you talk to him often?" She said no. So I said, "Dear St. Anthony, so good and so kind, please help my friend her check to find." I no sooner said that prayer to my friend when she walked over to her hutch, picked up a folder and out fell the check. She exclaimed that she had gone to that hutch five times and the check never showed up there. She had even picked up the folder it fell out of and she did not find it. My response was, "Well, you just have to talk to St. Anthony every day, if you want him to know who you are when you do talk to him." He has been my lifelong friend, I always talked to St. Anthony every single day.

Have some insight or a story in regard to Saint Anthony that you would like to share? Email it to us and we will post it on our blog~

Lost, And Then Found in a Dream

Growing up Catholic, I was always informed by my grandmother that if I lost something I should pray to St. Anthony. Being a former Seminarian this was not too absurd. Now that I am an adult and have children of my own, I tell my children the same thing that my grandmother told me. In fact it has worked in my life many times over. One recollection would be where I lost my money clip. I prayed to St Anthony.... I was so frustrated I took a nap. During my nap I had a dream and saw the money clip on the floor under a cabinet at a store. When I awoke I phoned the store and sure enough it was there. The power of prayer to St Anthony works!

Saint Anthony Quote - Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak. We are full of words but empty of actions, and therefore are cursed by the Lord, since he himself cursed the fig tree when he found no fruit but only leaves. It is useless for a man to flaunt his knowledge of the law if he undermines its teaching by his actions.

--From a sermon by Saint Anthony of Padua

Unfailing Prayer to St. Anthony

"Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints"

O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me (request). O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms; and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...

Finding More Than Asked For

I had been looking for my house keys for over an hour when I called my mom to ask if she had any insights about where I could look. I followed her suggestions but the keys were nowhere. At last she said, "Well, St. Anthony might help you..." She told me to light a candle, which I did, and say what she told me to say: "St. Anthony, I need your help. Please help me find my keys." I put the match down, took two steps, and saw my glasses case on the floor (which I'd been looking for for a month), and right by the case were my keys. It was less than 10 seconds since I had asked for his help. I went over to St. Anthony's Church here in our city, and made an offering before that day was over. Thank you, St. Anthony.

Have a St. Anthony lost & found story of your own to share? Email it to us and we will post it on our blog~

The Lost Passport

I had an upcoming work trip overseas. Unfortunately, my passport had been missing forever. For months, I'd been tearing up my apartment in search of it. I even had a note posted on my front door to constantly remind myself to find it, but all to no avail. Then it struck me that I should pray to St. Anthony for guidance. Literally within 10 seconds I started digging in a bin of old utility bills, and there it was, buried deep in the middle. I almost started crying! So I went online to look up a way to thank St. Anthony. I was riveted by all the postings there and realized, like others had stated, that St. Anthony has never failed me either, in all the years I've prayed to him. So I just want to say thank you, St. Anthony!

A Niche for Saint Anthony

We regularly call on Saint Anthony for help because we are regularly losing things. Last year we went to a yard sale and found a type of ‘niche’ (for a religious statue) at this sale. The seller said we could just have it for free! We went to a local garden center and found a statue. It was marked as St. Francis and ‘identified’ by another person as St. Joseph, but it was St. Anthony. When we got it home I looked up his feast day and, lo and behold, that very day was Saint Anthony's feast day!

A Cross Found

I had a Franciscan cross that I hadn't seen in several years. I knew it was in a jewelry box at my mother's home. After watching a tape of Bishop Fulton Sheen, who was wearing a Franciscan cross, I began to ardently want to find and wear it again. I had looked for the jewelry box during several recent visits to my mother's house, to no avail. The night before I was to go over for another look, I asked St. Anthony to help me find the cross. When I arrived at her house, I began looking in my bedroom (where I had looked many times before). I got an idea to get a flashlight to help me look. I went into my study, when I was drawn to an old bookcase. I noticed that there were some papers in the front of a lower shelf. And I felt moved to move them aside; reaching blindly into the dark recesses of the shelf, I put my hand on the missing jewelry box and retrieved the St. Francis Cross. I am wearing my cross as I write this testimony. I thanked St. Anthony and Jesus profusely that I had found my little cross. This experience has helped me to see just how much St. Anthony has been in the background of my life, helping me all along. I am now thankful for his presence in my life, and have renewed my devotion to one of my favorite saints.

Have a Saint Anthony lost & found story of your own to share with our readers? Email it to us and we will post it on the blog~

Anthony's to the Rescue

I first heard about St. Anthony in San Francisco, where I had a financial hardship and could not afford to treat an ongoing infection. Someone suggested I go to St. Anthony's medical center, which I did. I was given antibiotics for free, which stopped my infection for good. But as I was not Catholic, I didn't know the meaning of St. Anthony, so I forgot about it.

Recently, my car had a serious engine problem, and all the mechanics who looked at it said the car is as good as dead. I couldn't afford a new car. In desperation I prayed for help. The next day, when I looked in the phone book, I saw an ad for "Anthony's Engines." The mechanic, named Anthony, came up with a solution that I could afford. I cannot express how relieved I was. After that time, it dawned on me that the name Anthony had often played a savior's role in my life, including a lawsuit in which an adjuster named Anthony took my case, which nobody had wanted, and won. I had never prayed to St. Anthony, but I feel I was helped by him. I believe he watches over all the lost. Now that I am aware of St. Anthony's graciousness, I feel it is time to thank him for his ever generous help. Anyone can be helped by the intersession of good St. Anthony.

Prayers To St. Anthony For A Baby

My husband and I had tried for five years to have a baby. Infertility specialists told us we had less than a 3% chance of getting pregnant on our own. All along my family had prayed that God would help us. My aunt, a Sister of St. Joseph, sent me a statue of St. Anthony and a prayer to him. She said it belonged to a man who had great faith in St. Anthony and his power of intervention. She said we would have a baby. My husband and I had gone through so much; could we really allow ourselves to get our hopes up? But I trusted my aunt and prayed daily to St. Anthony. In March of that year I discovered I was pregnant! All our hopes had come to be, and in December we had a beautiful baby boy. We named him Anthony, of course, and have since had two little girls. I am so thankful for our beautiful family and strongly recommend prayer to St. Anthony to anyone in need.

Prayer to St. Anthony, Consoler of the Afflicted

Dear St. Anthony, comforting the sorrowful is a Spiritual Work of Mercy and a Christian duty. By word, attitude, and deed I should try to brighten their days and make their burden easier to bear. St. Anthony, Consoler of the Afflicted, may I remember when helping someone in sorrow that I am helping Jesus Christ Himself. Kindly mention my pressing needs to Him (Name you special intentions). Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...

A Missing File

I attended a meeting with a man who desperately needed to find a file and leave the office in order to attend a family function. He had looked for hours for the file and was distraught about missing his family party. I asked him if he believed in St. Anthony, and told him he is the patron saint of missing articles. After I asked him for a description of the file, I effortlessly walked over to a desk and picked up the file that he tirelessly looked for. He dropped to his knees and said, "I do believe, I do believe". Ever since then, I tell all my friends, and they believe in the intersession of St. Anthony, too.

A Locket -- Lost and Found

One day I noticed, on returning home from a walk, that I had lost a gold locket which I prized very much, not only on account of it having been blessed, but also for its contents. The loss of it did not affect me very much, as St. Anthony never failed helping me in similar circumstances. After saying three Our Fathers, I retired to rest as soon as I had finished my prayers. Of course I did not leave the work of finding the locket to St. Anthony without taking the trouble to try and find it myself; but the next morning I began to visit the different places to which I had been the evening before. I was interrupted in my search by the bell ringing for Mass. At first I hesitated about going to church, but finally I made up my mind to go, for is not one Mass worth more than all the lockets in the world? Besides, was there any certainty of my finding the locket even if I stayed away? When Mass was over I continued my walk, but to no purpose. Fearing the trinket might have fallen into the hands of some one who would only have cared for its intrinsic value, and perhaps laughed at its contents, I asked Our Lady not to permit such a thing to happen, and for this intention invoked Pope Pius IX, St. Anne, St. Joachim, and especially St. Anthony, in whose honor I said another Our Father. I suppose my persistency must have touched our good St. Anthony, for very shortly afterwords a stranger, noticing I was searching for something, accosted me, asking if I had lost anything. On my replying in the affirmative, and giving him a description of my locket, he returned it to me, saying he had found it near St. Mary's Church. Many thanks to our dear Lady and good St. Anthony and my other holy friends.

Thank you to 'Miracles of St. Anthony of Padua' by Joseph A. Keller

St. Anthony's email bag - from Malaysia

My name is Theresa and I am from Malaysia. Saint Anthony has helped me a lot and I count on his devotions daily to make my life more manageable and better in many aspects. I was introduced to Saint Anthony by a close friend of mine when I had difficulty coping with my Masters assignments. I was a full time working student with three young kids and it was difficult for me to cope with my studies and family commitments at the same time. After my prayer to Saint Anthony, my results improved drastically and I was able to concentrate better in my studies. Further, Saint Anthony has helped me countless times to recover lost items either big or small. I invoke his intercession every day and may his name be made known throughout the universe.

Have your own testimony about St. Anthony and answered prayer? Email us to share your story~

St. Anthony and Venerable Solanus Casey - Prayer Request

St. Anthony is sometimes associated with healing and is a powerful intercessor for the sick in part because sickness is a loss--a loss of health, sometimes a loss of peace, of hope. The parishioners of St. Anne Byzantine Church in San Luis Obispo, CA., have started a special prayer campaign for their priest, Fr. James Lane. He was recently diagnosed with an aggressive, malignant tumor near his right eye. He has already started an urgent regimen of chemotherapy and radiation. And in spite of some terrible secondary effects, he is continuing on. Some of the children in the parish were especially moved as he insists on being part of evening prayer services--in spite of having to leave several times because of nausea. The parish members are suggesting Novenas to Venerable Solanus Casey, the prayer asking for his intersession is given below. But we would also like to see this good priest restored fully to his parish and to his people. So pray to St. Anthony also that he might re-find his health.

Father, I adore You. I give myself to You. May I be the person You want me to be and may Your will be done in my life today. Thank You for the gifts You gave to Father Solanus. If it is Your will, glorify him on earth So that others will carry on his work For the poor, lonely, and suffering of our world. In order that others will joyfully accept Your divine plan, I ask You to hear this prayer (insert special request here) through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...

Update - March, 2012: Fr. James Lane has successfully undergone surgery and chemotherapy, and appears, according to his doctors, to be completely cancer free. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ, thank you St. Anthony and Venerable Solanus Casey for interceding on behalf of this beloved priest~

The New Wedding Ring

The wife of a baker had lost her wedding ring shortly after her marriage. This really worried her, as she considered losing the ring an ill-omen. She earnestly prayed to St. Anthony in the hopes of finding it, but he seemed to have turned a deaf ear to all her en- treaties. After searching everywhere for it, she came to the conclusion that she must have lost it while swimming in the Rhine at Breesach, and, therefore, gave up every hope of finding it again. A year had just passed, when the baker's little nephew came to pay them a visit, and one day while swimming in the Rhine, he began poking about the stones in the river, when suddenly something bright attracted his attention. It was the lost ring. The joy and gratitude of its owner can be easily imagined.
Thank you to 'Miracles of St. Anthony of Padua' by Joseph A. Keller

St. Anthony's Witness to a Communist Couple

St Anthony of Padua is truly a wonderful and powerful Saint! During the Second World War, my grandfather (a married Eastern Catholic priest with seven children) went to a store to buy food for the week. The couple who ran the store had lost the previous week's receipts and cash. They couldn't find it anywhere and they were getting really anxious. And they were members of the communist party. My grandfather, in his clerical collar, simply told them to pray to St Anthony as he would help them find the lost items. They laughed at him at first, but then, as their continued search didn't bear any fruit, looked at Fr. John and went into the next room, closing the door behind them. My grandfather could hear them praying . . . to St Anthony. They then emerged from the room, looking the whole time at my grandfather. Then the man did something interesting. He put his hand on his eyes and then reached out with his other hand to grab the first drawer handle he could reach. He then pulled it out and . . there was the money and the receipts! The communist couple then gave my priest-grandfather plenty of extra bread and even chocolate for his children (and no one had any chocolate in those days, as my grandfather related to me with a smile). I thank St Anthony of Padua for helping my family and for providing such a powerful witness to God's miraculous power through His Saints!! St Anthony of Padua, we praise you and ask you to bless us!

Thank you to Alex for this story. Have a St. Anthony story of your own to share? Email it to us and we will post it on our blog~

Just In Time

I have a nervous habit of sliding my wedding rings up and down on my finger. I was watching a television program that was very intense. After a particularly stressful scene I noticed my rings were missing. My husband and I searched the area for a couple of hours, taking the sofa apart, crawling on our hands and knees, shining a flashlight in every corner, pulling up the area rug...we looked everywhere! I was distraught! My husband said we should go to bed since it was almost midnight and we could look again in the morning. As I was drifting off to sleep I asked St. Anthony to find my rings for me. When I awoke I started looking again. For some reason a fragment of a dream came to my mind - a tissue in my hand. I wondered if I had been holding a tissue when I lost my rings. I went and looked in the garbage. I pulled out a tissue and my rings were there! My husband said he too dreamed of a tissue! Thank you, St. Anthony! Just in time because the garbage service was due to run in a couple of hours!

Prayer To St. Anthony - Thanksgiving for Answered Prayers

Most loving protector, St. Anthony, what gift can I give you in exchange to show my heartfelt gratitude? With your continued help I will show appreciation to you by being more faithful to God, more constant in prayer, and readier to do good to those nearest me. I praise you for the esteem in which your name is held throughout the world, for the miracles and wonders with which you have filled the Church, and for the many benefits mankind continues to recieve through your gracious help. May these intentions convey my great thanks to the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and to our Blessed Lady, Queen of heaven and earth.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...
For information on giving alms to an Anthonian mission hospital in Africa in thanksgiving for St. Anthony's help in your life, click here.

Have prayers answered through the intersession of Saint Anthony that you would like to share on our blog? Click here to email them to us to post - your stories can inspire others to turn to God in need, with the help of Good St. Anthony~

Another Special Ring

A very dear aunt of mine died tragically a few years ago. My mother, her sister, was the executrix of her estate. One of the things saved for me from my aunt was a diamond ring, which my mother gave to me when I returned from overseas a year later. I really cherished it and wore it every day. Some time later, I was doing some yard work which involved the uncleared lot we owned next to our house. While I was working it began to rain, but I continued to work as long as I could, which included taking large armfuls of weeds and throwing them into piles to be placed in bags at the curb. Arriving in the house soaking wet, I realized my son would soon be late for altar service so we quickly prepared for Mass and headed to church. Kneeling in the pew, I clasped my hands, and noticed the ring was missing! I had never removed it. I knew it had to be somewhere in those mounds of yard debris -- or the part of the lot we had worked, an area of at least fifty by fifteen feet! I decided to put it out of mind and concentrate on Mass. I hated the thought of telling my mother that I had lost her sister’s ring. My husband and I picked through every bit of the piles of yard debris. Nothing! I wandered in the lot and again: nothing. My husband told me I should forget trying to find that ring because the downpour had driven it into the sandy soil and it would be irretrievable, but I continued to pray and to beg St. Anthony (who had never let me down since I was a young girl). One afternoon as I sat on my bed I prayed again. The thought came to me to go out into that lot with a flashlight after dark. I'd had that thought several times before when praying and always discarded it as being so impractical. The lot was dark. The flashlight made only a small circle of light, the area to search was so large. For some reason this time I decided to act on that thought. As soon as it turned dark, out I went with the flashlight. I found a piece of tinfoil; then a small piece of cellophane gleamed. Then, a small glimmer of gold. There was the ring, directly in front of my feet and it was not the diamond sparkling in the light but the narrow golden band of the upside-down ring!

Can St. Anthony Intercede For Me With God??

A quote from St. Jerome explaining why we call apon the saints for help, and why they respond to our prayers; "If Apostles and martyrs while still in the body can pray for others, when they ought still to be anxious for themselves, how much more must they do so when once they have won their crowns, overcome, and triumphed? A single man, Moses, oft wins pardon from God for six hundred thousand armed men; and Stephen, the follower of his Lord and the first Christian martyr, entreats pardon for his persecutors (Acts 7:59-60); and when once they have entered on their life with Christ, shall they have less power than before? The Apostle Paul says that two hundred and seventy-six souls were given to him in the ship (Acts 27:37); and when, after his dissolution, he has begun to be with Christ, must he shut his mouth, and be unable to say a word for those who throughout the whole world have believed in his Gospel?"

Fr. Zuhlsdorf's blog, http://wdtprs.com/blog, has an expanded explanation of the why's and how's of the intersession of the saints.

The Wedding Ring at the Beach

A man and his wife were at the beach and his wedding ring fell off while he was in the water, and was washed away by a wave. He called upon St. Anthony, and another wave came in and deposited his wedding ring at his feet.
Thank you to 'Help from Heaven Book' for this story

Prayer to St. Anthony In Time of Sickness

St. Anthony, physician of soul and body, consolation of the sick who ask your prayers, turn your compassionate eyes upon me, your foster child, who afflicted with painful infirmities, sends up sighs and prayers for relief from these sufferings, and for comfort for all in sickness. O great friend of God through your rich merits and your powerful mediation with Him, the sick are not only made sound and whole, but many are saved from death. Therefore, I earnestly beg you to have mercy upon me, and bear my sighs and petitions to the throne of God, that He may free me from my infirmities. O compassionate Jesus, Man of Sorrows, Who did deign to endure our weakness and sufferings, hear me, and have mercy on my weakness. Heal my soul, for I have sinned before You; heal my body also, that, restored to health through the merits of St. Anthony, I may give thanks to You. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...

Saint Anthony Quote -Your Name Is Joy

A quote from Good Saint Anthony:

“Sweet Jesus, is there anything sweeter than you? To remember you is more delightful than everything else. Your name is joy; it is the true gate of our salvation. What else are you, Jesus, if not our Savior? Be our Redeemer. Give us the virtues of hope and love, just as you have given us faith, our primary joy. Give us the words that we need to praise you always. With the help and through the prayers of your Mother. You who are blessed throughout the ages. Amen.”

The Lost Watch

This is a story of a lost watch which is full-blown Anthony. You start to notice some of the characteristics 1) the finds which often do come after a period of waiting 2) the special power of sites dedicated to the saint--holy places where that which is lost can be found, and 3)the improbable nature of so many of the finds. Some theologians would talk of a "phenomenology of the workings of St. Anthony," which in our more normal language simply means his particular ways of working. Not that the saint is limited to any one method, but there are identifiable signs, little intimations so often found. If you have experienced anything like it, please send along your story. Watching the saints work is a way of seeing something of the divine mystery after all. In the middle of what seems curious but also ordinary, there is a hidden awe and wonder, and a tender invitation to go more deeply into the mystery always. Here's the account: Some years ago I lost my watch. Late one night, a week later I finally prayed to Saint Anthony for help to find it. The next morning we drove to the parish of Saint Anthony of Padua, which was some miles from our home and attended Mass there. After Mass I stayed behind a little and my husband went back to the car park to wait for me. It has been raining for a week and the grass was long, wet and muddy. My husband saw something shining in the grass and out of curiosity he bent down and scooped up a handful of mud, and to his astonishment my watch was there in the handful of mud. What was the explanation for this? We had attended a Mass at that church the previous week....
Thank you to 'Help from Heaven Book' for this story

The Christmas Tree Light

A man was decorating a very tall Christmas tree which was covered all over with decorations. As he was putting up electric colored light globes, one of them slipped from his hand. It was only a very small globe. He spent ages searching for it without success. He complained to his wife that the other lights would not work because the missing globe was essential to the whole scheme of things. She told him to “wait just a minute” while she prayed to Saint Anthony. He then retorted “Don’t you think that Saint Anthony has much better things to do than to worry about the light globe?” His wife then said the following prayer: “Saint Anthony, please show him where it is.” Immediately he called out “Hey, what do you know, here it is, in the middle of the Christmas tree.” No petition is too great or too trivial to ask Saint Anthony for.
Thank you to 'Help from Heaven Book' for this story

Novena to St. Anthony for the Recovery of Lost Things

O blessed St. Anthony! the grace of God has made you a powerful advocate in all necessities and the patron for the restoration of things lost or stolen; to you we turn to-day with childlike love and heartfelt confidence. Oh, how many thousands you have miraculously aided in the recovery of lost things!
You have been the counselor of the erring, the healer of the sick, the raiser of the dead, the deliverer of the captive, the comforter of the afflicted: to you do we turn, O blessed St. Anthony! Help us in our present affliction. We recommend what we have lost to your care, in the secure hope that you will find it for us, if it be to the greater glory of God and to the benefit of our souls.
Obtain also for us an active faith, peace of mind, disinterest in the vain pleasures of the world, and an ardent desire for the imperishable goods of eternity. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...

Have prayers answered through the intersession of Saint Anthony that you would like to share on our blog? Click here to email them to us to post - your stories can inspire others to turn to God in need, with the help of Good St. Anthony~

Free Lemons And A Key For St. Anthony

They’re retired and they don’t have a lot of money, and sometimes not a lot of patience. But they have St. Anthony working for them. They’re my parents. They were over to pick a few free lemons from a tree in my backyard the other day and just when they were about to leave my father, who walks with great difficulty, realized he didn’t have the car key. We spent a lot of time looking for the key in the tall grass around the lemon tree. Nothing. We retraced his steps, my mother frisked him, he checked his pockets. Nothing. We called their auto repair shop and even a locksmith. It turned out to be one of those keys with a microchip in it--and would have cost up to a $1,000 to replace. The locksmith was apologetic but he suggested to look everywhere and call if all else failed. Meanwhile we got a tow truck to get my parents home and I kept looking, thinking of how the little visit for lemons was going to be very expensive for them. And I started praying to St. Anthony. I wasn’t finding anything but pebbles and was discouraged until the phone rang. After my parents got home, my father changed clothes and as my mother was shaking out his pants, the key fell from the pant cuff. How it snuck in there, how it stayed there through so much movement and jostling, I don’t know. But the saint probably does.

Have a story of St. Anthony's help in your life? Big or small, we would like to share it with our readers - email us and we will post it on our blog~

If St. Anthony Had A Cat...

There’s a cat named Dusty in San Mateo, California who somehow must have St. Anthony smiling beatifically. Perhaps the saint, who now partakes of heavenly Wisdom can make some sense of the story--especially since St. Anthony, as a Franciscan, could well have inherited St. Francis’ deep appreciation for animals as part of God’s holy creation. It turns out that Dusty is part of an ongoing lost object program. He has stolen over 600 items from neighbors--and in the process has animal experts scratching their heads. Those experts talk about “mixed-up neurotransmitters” but they don’t really know what is going on with Dusty. The thefts happen at night typically and started about four years ago--little things like gloves, then towels and bathing suits, and just about anything the cat can drag back home. His owners dutifully wash Dusty’s finds and try to get things back to the rightful owner, something St. Anthony would appreciate. And as it turns out, whenever the neighbors lose something they can turn to St. Anthony--and also go over to Dusty’s house. It’s not the kind of St. Anthony story that we usually hear, but there’s a saintly twinkle in it--after all the objects do get returned.

Prayer of Consecration to St. Anthony

Dear Saint Anthony, glorious servant and blessed friend of God! I salute you in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Who, in the form of a sweet little child, you had the privilege of holding in your arms. I rejoice in your joy; I glory in your honor; I offer you my heartfelt congratulations upon the unspeakable bliss of heaven which is now your reward, and I thank God with all my heart for the graces and privileges with which He has distinguished you above so many other saints. O Saint Anthony, I consecrate myself to you. I choose you to be my patron, my advocate, my powerful intercessor at the court of Heaven, and I resolve to honor you always. I beseech you, therefore, receive me as your client, protect me, defend me, help me in all the necessities of life, and assist me in the hour of my death, that my soul may be saved, and that with you I may glorify God forever. Amen.

St. Anthony -- The One Connection She Kept

Our Lord Himself made it clear that all of us--and in an exemplary way the saints--are meant to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. We in the Gospel how four men carried a paralytic to our Lord, lowered him through the roof to the feet of Christ, and the Lord said to them, because of your (plural in the original) faith, his sins are forgiven. St. Anthony is one of those saints who are particularly good at holding together threads of faith when it seems, on the surface, to have been torn away at the root. Why this is, doesn’t matter. It is simply part of God’s goodness. St. Anthony has long been known not only as a special Patron for those who have lost things, but also as the Patron of Lost Souls. We can never know how much God can do with apparently lost people--often working through saints like Anthony. And so, one woman writes of an aunt whose life was hard enough to rip away the normal tethers of faith--but who held onto St. Anthony. It is a touching story, but also should be the occasion for us to add our prayers for the soul of her aunt: Prayer is never wasted: Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon her:

“I had an Aunt, born in 1915, who had a miserable and brutal home life, aside from desperate poverty. She was badly treated at a Catholic school by bullying classmates and a teacher who found her difficult to like because of her bitterness and shabby clothes, and one day insulted her so that she walked out of her high school, and the Church as well, and never came back. She had hard words for the Church and the "hypocritical people" in it. However though she never attended Mass the rest of her life she had a fondness for St. Anthony, and often asked him to find or obtain things for her. She was a woman who never smiled and was always suspicious. When it came time for her to die in 2005, in the hospital she expressed no desire for a chaplain, or to be reconciled to the Church... However I (her niece) prayed silently a lot by her bedside and sneaked a green scapular under her mattress. The night before she died she was in coma, so I slipped a brown scapular about her neck (I knew that as a school girl she must have been enrolled) and said all 20 mysteries of the rosary for her, and then the chaplet of Divine Mercy before I went home after midnight. She was found dead next morning with the loveliest sweet smile on her face--and I knew in my heart that she was OK with God. The one connection she had kept all her life long was a sincere devotion to St Anthony, and I know he engineered things so that I could be near her at the end "to have faith for her", and say prayers for her that she was unable to say for herself."

What the writer describes can be a common thing -- a breakdown in faith, a long wandering through life, but nevertheless a thread, who in this case was Anthony. And God can work with threads.

When So Many Have Lost So Much

When so many have lost so much... The widely publicized theft of the relic of St. Anthony from a church named for him in Southern California continues to affect people in profound ways. The saints so often experienced in their lives how seamlessly God can bring good out of evil, how we have all lost something precious and how much we need divine work if it is to be found again: Here is what one woman wrote: “Thank you for the blog and prayers to St. Anthony. I pray to a group of saints everyday, and it occurred to me recently that, except for St. Joseph and St. Padre Pio, they are all female. I was wondering which male saint, if any, I should add to my regular prayer requests for intercession. Reading your blog and the St. Anthony prayer made me realize that I should be praying to St. Anthony for something I lost 30 years ago and have only recently begun to realize is missing. As we know, God can take any thing--good or evil--and turn it to His purposes, even something as unimaginable as the theft of a sacred relic. The theft is shining new light on St. Anthony and his intercession at a time when so many have lost so much, including faith. God Bless and keep up the good work. Peggy

A Novena And A Passport

St. Anthony was a traveler as were so many of the saints. Although profoundly associated with Padua in Italy, he was born in Portugal (known as Lusitania in the Latin of the Catholic Church). That meant dealing with changes, transition, and, of course, loss. For modern travelers, all that is still the case. But some losses can threaten the experience itself. Hence the intervention of a holy fellow traveler: “Hi. My name is Gregory and I'm currently based in India. It was in the month of October 2008 while I was traveling by bus from my work place to home in Dubai, UAE that I lost my passport which was kept in my trousers pocket. I searched frantically high and low at all the places I walked along on the way to the bus stop. I was worried for about two weeks and did not inform my wife as she would get very upset...I was equally tense as we were about to cancel our employment visas as my wife, daughter and myself had decided to come down and settle in India by the last week of December 2008. Then someone advised me to recite St. Anthony's Novena for 9 days starting from Tuesday. I did so and guess what, after the 9 days I visited the Police Station and to my utter surprise I found my Passport with the Police Officer at the Police Station.
I truly consider St. Anthony to be a very powerful saint as he is very good in helping you find things which you have lost. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share this experience of mine with you.” Gregory had recourse to a Novena, which is an ancient form of prayer over nine days. The original Novena was that of the disciples of the Jesus Christ who waited and prayed with his Mother, Mary, for nine days, following the Lord’s Ascension. That Novena was followed by the overwhelming spiritual explosion of Pentecost--an event which turned those disciples into travelers, carriers of the faith and presence of Christ into the world. Most often today, a Novena involves a prayer that is repeated over nine days for a specific intention. Some Novenas follow formulas, others are quite spontaneous. Regardless, a Novena is a way of praying that goes back to Mary, the Apostles and the other earliest followers of the Lord--and can help all of us, who are lost travelers at times, find our way.

A Faint Sparkle

A faint sparkle... Rings are important to people because of what they represent--commitment, faithfulness, shared struggles, a sacrament shared. In that sense, they can be very holy things--and objects of holy intervention. Ed and Jean K. from North Carolina sent in a touching story about a lost ring and St. Anthony--about seeing “a faint sparkle.” Ed writes: “My wife caught her ring on the sofa cover and discovered the 3/4 carat diamond was missing from the setting. Naturally she got a little upset and looked at me for an answer. I asked how long had it been missing and she wasn't sure, but remembered hitting her hand on a doorway a few days ago. Well that sure wasn't much to go on and I suggested she pray to Saint Anthony while I searched with a flashlight. I was only doing this for her sake because there was little hope of finding something so small. So I looked close to all the doors in the house knowing it was hopeless. But I decided to look by the door going out of the garage, nothing there either. Then I shined the flashlite behind the freezer by the door where there was plenty of dust and leaves and there was a faint sparkle. I bent over and saw the stone and went for my wife to see it before touching it. So once more Saint Anthony came through.” A faint sparkle--not a bad way of describing Anthony’s little way into the soul.

Have a story of St. Anthony's help of your own to share? Email it to us and we will post it on our blog~

About the "loss" of the relic...

This blog was launched on June 13, the feast of our patron, St. Anthony. That same day, an event drew widespread attention to the saint. It turns out a 780-year old relic of St. Anthony was stolen from a church bearing his name in Southern California. According to reports, “the relic is housed in a 16-inch reliquary case with angel-shaped handles made of gold and silver on either side.” The parish priest called the relic invaluable. At the same time, wire service reports predictably enough evoked the supposed irony: A relic of a saint known for helping find that which is lost is now lost itself. It is indeed something painful for the church, the parishioners and really all of us who love the saint. But let's be clear: St. Anthony is not "lost." And the disappearance of the relic--almost certainly temporary--may well be just another part of the saint's mysterious work. Whoever took the object needs prayer and the help of this saint of the lost. And it sets up a situation for another one of his little miracles--and for recognizing further who this saint is and what special corner of God's Kingdom he inhabits. One of our esteemed fellow bloggers, Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, ran a piece on the disappearance, and immediately started collecting the miracle reports. One person reported that St. Anthony Church in Long Beach is his "home church," where he became a Catholic in 1986. He adds that just the other day, his daughter dropped her Miraculous Medal at Disneyland, only to have it "reappear" at her feet at a restaurant a few hours later--this, after his wife had been praying continuously to St. Anthony. Another mentions that it was at St. Anthony Parish in Calgary, Canada where "I found my Catholic faith after it was lost for over a decade." It's not just a theft then. Something else is afoot. Because this saint--like all of God's saints--has a knack for facilitating great good out of distress. Pray, then, if you would, for the return of the relic--and that whatever deep loss lies behind the theft, might lead to some rediscovery that is deeper still.