St. Anthony of Padua

St. Anthony Chaplet, with meditations on his 13 virtues

St Anthony of Padua was born to wealth, but for the sake of Christ he became a poor Franciscan priest. A gifted speaker, he attracted crowds everywhere he went, speaking in multiple tongues; legend says that even the fish loved to listen. One of the most beloved of saints, his images and statues are found everywhere. He died in 1231, was canonized in 1232, and on January 16, 1946, he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church. His memorial day is June 13.

St. Anthony is known as a patron of the poor, and the patron saint of seekers of lost articles, travelers, and Portugal.

This chaplet is composed of thirteen sets of three beads each,
for meditation on the virtues of St Anthony while praying the chaplet:
Faith, Hope, Charity, Love of Jesus, Prudence, Justice, Patience, Penance, Humility, Purity, Obedience, Poverty, Spirit of Prayer, and Union with God.
For each set, while meditating on one virtue,
on the first bead, say Our Father ,
on the second, pray Hail Mary , and
on the third, pray the Gloria .

On the medal, recite the Miraculous Responsory .

See our catalog for available St. Anthony chaplets.
Below are examples of previous designs.
Write us to inquire about a custom design!

Delicate 8mm ovals of vintage glass capture Franciscan browns. The sterling-capped Responsory bead is handmade lampwork, swirling with the same colors. The chaplet is completed with a 1.25" sterling medal depicting the Vision of St. Anthony, when Christ appeared to him as the child Jesus.

St. Anthony Chaplet, with medal of St. Anthony's Brief

Franciscan browns are captured by the 8mm faceted rondelles of Botswana Agate. The sterling-capped Responsory bead is handmade lampwork, swirling with the same colors. The chaplet is completed with a sterling medal with St. Anthony on one side, and St. Francis on the obverse.

The cross reads, on one side, Blessing of St. Anthony of Padua (also known as "St. Anthony's Brief" ):
"Behold the Cross of the Lord! Fly Ye Evil Power! The Lion of the Tribe of Juda, The Root of David has Conquered! Alleluia! Alleluia!"
On the other side, the Blessing of St. Francis of Assisi:
"The Lord Bless Thee and Keep Thee, May He Show His Face to Thee and have Pity on Thee, May He Reach His Countenance Toward Thee and Give Thee Peace, The Lord Bless Thee."

Prayers

This chaplet is composed of thirteen sets of three beads each.
For each set,
on the first bead, say Our Father ,
on the second, pray Hail Mary , and
on the third, pray the Gloria .

On the large bead, recite the Miraculous Responsory .

The Miraculous Responsory
(si quideris)

If you seek for miracles,
Death, error, all calamities,
The demons fly, and leprosy,
And health succeeds infirmities.
The sea obeys and fetters break,
And lifeless limbs thou dost restore;
Whilst treasures lost are found again,
When young and old thine aid implore.

All dangers vanish at thy prayer,
The direst need doth quickly flee.
Let those who know thy power proclaim,
Let Paduans say these are of thee.
The sea obeys and fetters break,
And lifeless limbs thou dost restore;
Whilst treasures lost are found again,
When young and old thine aid implore.

To Father, Son may glory be
And Holy Ghost eternally.
The sea obeys and fetters break,
And lifeless limbs thou dost restore;
Whilst treasures lost are found again,
When young and old thine aid implore.

V. Pray for us, blessed Anthony,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us Pray
O God, let the votive commemoration of
Blessed Anthony, Thy confessor,
be a source of joy in Thy Church,
that she may always be fortified with spiritual assistance,
and may deserve to possess eternal joy.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

This powerful and highly indulgenced prayer, sometimes known as the si quideris from the first words of the Latin translation, is generally attributed to St Bonaventure, and is considered to have been composed by him on the occasion of the discovery of the incorrupt tongue of St Anthony. This remarkable discovery was made in the year 1263, when the saint’s relics were transferred to the magnificent basilica that had been built in his honor in Padua. When the tomb was opened it was found that the flesh was crumbled in dust but that the tongue was intact and had the appearance of the tongue of a living man.

Alternate Form

Another method of saying the chaplet includes meditating on each of the thirteen petitions of the Miraculous Responsory:

1. St. Anthony, who raiseth the dead, pray for those Christians now in their agony and for our dear departed.

2. St. Anthony, zealous preacher of the Gospel, fortify us against the errors of the enemies of God, and pray for the Pope and the Church.

3. St. Anthony, powerful with the Heart of Jesus, preserve us from the calamities which threaten us on account of our sins.

4. St. Anthony, who drivest away devils, make us triumph over their snares.

5. St. Anthony, lily of heavenly purity, purify us from the stains of the soul, and preserve our bodies from all dangers.

6. St. Anthony, healer of the sick, cure our diseases and preserve us in health.

7. St. Anthony guide of travellers, bring to safe harbour those who are in danger of perishing, and calm the troubled waves of passion which agitate our souls.

8. St. Anthony, liberator of captives, deliver us from the captivity of evil.

9. St. Anthony, who restorest to young and old the use of their limbs, obtain for us the perfect use of the senses of our body, and the faculties of our soul.

10. St. Anthony finder of lost things, help us to find all that we have lost in the spiritual and in the temporal order.

11. St. Anthony, protected by Mary, avert the dangers which threaten our body and our soul.

12. St. Anthony, helper of the poor, help us in our needs and give bread and work to those who ask.

13. St. Anthony, we thankfully proclaim thy miraculous power, and we beseech thee to protect us all the days of our life.

Popular Devotions in Honor of St Anthony

The Devotions of the Nine Tuesdays

On the Tuesday following the death of St Anthony the people of Padua carried his body to its last resting place in the Church of Our Blessed Lady, which was attached to the Franciscan Friary at Padua. The occasion was marked by great splendour and enthusiasm, and the cortege moved through the city to the music of bells and joyous hymns. The day was marked, too, by an extraordinary number of miracles. The biographers of the Saint tell us that “the blind regained their sight, the deaf their hearing, and the lame the use of their limbs. Every grace and favour asked for in faith and confidence was granted.” The people were so impressed by the wonderful things they had witnessed that they began to observe Tuesdays as days of special devotion in honour of their saint. However, as time went on, the practice fell into disuse until, in 1616, St Anthony himself revived it in the form of a novena of nine consecutive Tuesdays.

In that year – 1616 – “there lived at Bologna a noble and pious couple who, after twenty two years of married life, were childless. One day the lonely wife, kneeling before the altar of St Anthony in the Franciscan church, laid before the saint the sorrow of her life and begged his intercession. And see! The saint himself appeared before her and bade her visit his altar and pray before it on nine consecutive Tuesdays. This she did and in course of time became a mother. But to the bitter disappointment of the parents, the infant was found to be horribly deformed. This new sorrow, however, proved to be but a further trial of their faith. The mother brought the babe to the altar of the saint, and on touching it to the stone, all traces of the deformity immediately disappeared. “Franciscan Almanac”

The grateful parents spread everywhere the news of the miracle and very soon the Devotion of the Nine Tuesdays became very popular throughout Europe. Today it is practiced universally throughout the world. It has always proved to be a marvelously efficacious means of winning St Anthony’s assistance.

The following plan is suggested for making the Novena:

(i) Receive, if possible, the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist on nine consecutive Tuesdays. This may be done in any church.

(ii) On each of the Tuesdays visit a church, Franciscan if possible, and before a statue or relic of St Anthony, recite appropriate prayers. If the church cannot be visited, the prayers may be said at home before an image of the saint.

(iii) To gain a plenary indulgence on each Tuesday of the Novena, receive the Sacraments, visit a Franciscan church during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and there pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. (This indulgence can be gained on each Tuesday of the year on these same conditions.)

No particular prayers are prescribed for the Novena, but the following are commonly used.

Prayers for the Devotion of the Nine Tuesdays

O Jesus my Saviour! Who vouchsafed to appear to St Anthony in the form of an infant, I implore you, through the love you bore to this saint when he dwelt on earth and which you now bear to him in heaven, graciously hear my prayer and assist me in my necessities, who live and reign, world without end. Amen.

O glorious St Anthony, safe refuge of all the afflicted and distressed, who have revealed that all who piously invoke you at your altar on nine consecutive Tuesdays shall experience the power of your intercession. Encouraged by your promise, and by the knowledge of the wonderful favours and graces which God bestows on those who piously invoke your intercession, I come to you, O powerful Saint, and with a firm hope I implore your aid, your protection, your counsel, and your blessing. Obtain for me, I beseech you my request. (Pause here and make your request). But if it should be opposed to the Will of God and the welfare of my soul, obtain for me such other graces as shall be conducive to my salvation. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Then say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, followed by the Responsory.

For Seeking a Lost Article

Dear St. Anthony, you are the patron of the poor and the helper of all who seek lost articles. Help me to find the object I have lost so that I will be able to make better use of the time that I will gain for God's greater honor and glory. Grant your gracious aid to all people who seek what they have lost ― especially those who seek to regain God's grace. Amen.

Biography

Briefly the story of St Anthony’s life is this: He was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in the year 1195. At the age of fifteen he entered the community of the Canons Regular of St Augustine. Two years later he was sent to the convent of the Augustinians in Coimbra. It was there that he met five Franciscans who were destined to become the first martyrs amongst the sons of St Francis of Assisi. They came to the convent one night begging hospitality, and were welcomed by the Canons who were even more kind when they heard that the Friars were on their way to Morocco to preach the Gospel to the Saracens. Anthony listened with rapt attention to the guests, and in his capacity of guest-master, tirelessly ministered to their every need. When they had set out on their journey again, they left behind in the heart of Anthony a great desire to follow them and to give his life to God in the foreign missions. Only five months later the five Friars were martyred and their bodies were brought back to Coimbra. This event decided Anthony and he asked to be allowed to transfer to the Franciscan Order so that he might realize his heroic ambition. This request was granted and a few months later we find him on his way to the Mohammedan Mission of Morocco in quest of souls and martyrdom. However, the hour when he seemed to have reached his goal was the prelude to deep disappointment. No sooner had landed than he was stricken down with fever and there was nothing for him to do but to return home. But God had great works in store for him and gave him, through his superiors, an outlet for his missionary zeal in Italy and France.

Everywhere he went he lit the flame of fervour in the hearts of the thousands of people who flocked to hear him, and very soon his preaching, together with the miracles that he worked constantly, made the name of Anthony a household word. He set himself to combat the heresies of the Manichees and the Albigenses. His success in this conflict was enormous and the heretics returned in great numbers to the Faith, the shackles that bound their souls smashed by this powerful “Hammer of Heresies.”

In 1228 Anthony was sent to Padua – the city which has claimed him as its own and has guarded proudly and affectionately his name and fame. There it was that he spent the last years of his all-too-short life, and there it was that he died on June 13th 1231. Less than a year later, on May 30th 1232, he was solemnly canonized by by Pope Gregory IX, who decreed that his Feast should be celebrated each year on the anniversary of his death.

The eight centuries, almost, have passed since his death have witnessed a remarkable devotion to the glorious saint – so outstanding, indeed, that Pope Leo XIII would have him called “the saint of the whole world.” He has won this honour first of all because of the astonishing way in which God has honoured him and the strong appeal that his beautiful heroic life must make to all who read about him. But he has won this devotion also because of the all-embracing power he has shown to help us in our many needs, both spiritual and temporal. If Anthony was a wonder-worker in life he has earned a far greater right to that title since his entrance to eternal life. It almost seems as though God’s beautiful gesture in coming to rest as the Divine infant in the arms of Anthony was a symbol of the way in which he was to put His choicest gifts and graces into the arms of the saint – ever stretched out through the centuries, pleading in our name. To borrow the words of the Bollandists: “It is impossible to describe adequately the marvels and wonders with which God has deigned to glorify His servant. The miracles of Anthony are so constant and so numerous as to appear to constitute one great unceasing miracle; and it would be a greater miracle still if he ceased to work them. So famous have they rendered him in the eyes of all people that one is often tempted to remark that Almighty God plays with him as he did with his holy father, St Francis, in granting him the power to work wonders, not so much for the needs of souls as for the pleasure it gives Him to rejoice our hearts through His servant, Anthony.”

In Latin countries (Portugal, Italy, Spain, France) Saint Anthony is the patron of sailors and fishermen. They place his statue in a little shrine on the ship's mast, pray to him in storms and dangers, and even "scold" him if he does not answer their petitions for help speedily enough. In all Catholic countries Saint Anthony holds a special place in the hearts of women. They turn to him with their problems of love and espousal, happiness in married life, fertility, good and healthy children. This patronage was doubtless occasioned by his great kindness and goodness to all, and by the fact that images show him with the Holy Child held tenderly in his arms. Girls go to his shrines to pray for a husband. They light candles before his image and drink from the fountain in the churchyard (Anthony's Well). In Spain he is called Santo Casamentero (the Holy Matchmaker). The Basque girls make a pilgrimage on his feast day to the town of Durango in Biscaya, where they climb a high mountain and pray there in the shrine "for a good boy." Sometimes their prayers are answered immediately; for the young Basque men have the habit of making the same journey, waiting outside the church and asking the girls to dance after their devotions. Saint Anthony's best-known gift, however, is his power of restoring all manner of lost things. In little matters and great, he is prayed to constantly by millions of people, and like Saint Christopher, is often invoked by non-Catholics as well. There is no particular event in his life, nor any legend, that would explain the origin of this patronage. In fact, many explanations have been attempted, and most of them are quite unsatisfactory.

The most logical seems to be the report in an ancient Portuguese book (the event might well be historical) that a man had stolen a valuable volume of chants from a monastery. Some time afterward, when praying to Saint Anthony, he not only felt sorry for the theft but was also inspired with a great urge to return the book. He did so revealing that the Saint had made him restore the "lost" volume; whereupon people began to invoke Saint Anthony on similar occasions when something belonging to them was lost.68 The custom of praying to the Saint for lost articles actually started in Portugal and spread from there to the rest of Europe, whence immigrants brought it with them to America.

Tuesday is devoted in a particular way to the veneration of Saint Anthony because he was buried on Tuesday, June 17, 1231. In the seventeenth century the practice began of holding weekly devotions to him; and even today, most "perpetual novenas" to Saint Anthony are held on Tuesdays. Portugal and Italy, where the Saint was born and where he died, honor his feast day with unusual festive splendor and great devotion. In Portugal the epithet "of Padua" is never used, for to the Portuguese he remains "Anthony of Lisbon" or "of Alfama" (the district of Lisbon where he was born). There every house on June 13 displays, among other decorations, a shrine with a statue of the saint.

St. Anthony's Brief

"Behold the Cross of the Lord!

Begone you enemy powers!

The lion of the tribe of Juda,

the root of David has conquered, Alleluia!"

are words that Pope Sixtus V had inscribed on the obelisk he erected in the quadrangle in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. They are also words attributed to St. Anthony known as the Brief (or letter) of St. Anthony. Some people carry the words with them asking for protection against the devil.

The custom of carrying and praying the words comes from the story of a woman in Portugal tempted by the devil and obsessed with thoughts of suicide. As the story is related, she was on her way to drown herself but stopped off at a Franciscan chapel to pray before a statue of St. Anthony. During her prayer she fell asleep and saw St. Anthony, who released her from her disturbed state of mind.

When she woke up she found a letter (brief) given to her by St. Anthony with the words quoted above of what we call St. Anthony's brief. It has been written that the original letter was preserved with the crown jewels of Portugal. The practice may also be rooted in a story about Anthony's own struggle with the devil, who was trying to choke him. Anthony, says the early account by a contemporary friar, put the devil to flight by invoking Mary's help and making the Sign of the Cross.

SAN ANTONIO DE PADUA
1195-1231
Coronilla

La coronilla de San Antonio está formado por 39 cuentas distribuidas en 13 grupos de 3 cuentas. Cada grupo de 3 cuentas se inicia con una invocación y a continuación se reza un padrenuestro en la primera cuenta, un avemaría en la segunda y un gloria en la tercera. Concluidos los 13 grupos de cuentas, se finaliza la coronilla con el rezo del Responsorio.

ORACIÓN PREPARATORIA.

Por la señal de la Santa Cruz… Señor mío Jesucristo...

Abrid, Señor mis labios para bendecir vuestro Santo nombre y el de vuestra Santísima Madre, la Bienaventurada Virgen María al rezar los Trece Padrenuestros, Avemarías y Glorias en honor de vuestro siervo Antonio, cuyas virtudes deseo, con vuestra gracia, copiar en la tierra, para después gozar de vuestra gloria en el cielo. Amen.

INVOCACIONES.

1ª. San Antonio de Padua, apóstol por la Fe , ruega por nosotros. Padrenuestro, avemaría y gloria.
2ª. San Antonio de Padua, Patriarca por la Esperanza , ruega por nosotros. Padrenuestro, avemaría y gloria.
3ª. San Antonio de Padua, serafín por la Caridad , ruega por nosotros. Padrenuestro, avemaría y gloria.
4ª. San Antonio de Padua, que practicasteis la Mansedumbre y la Humildad de Jesús, ruega por nosotros. Padrenuestro, avemaría y gloria.
5ª. San Antonio de Padua, ángel por la Castidad , ruega por nosotros. Padrenuestro, avemaría y gloria.
6ª. San Antonio de Padua, prodigio de Penitencia , ruega por nosotros. Padrenuestro, avemaría y gloria.
7ª. San Antonio de Padua Espejo de Obediencia , ruega por nosotros. Padrenuestro, avemaría y gloria.
8ª. San Antonio de Padua, mártir por la Paciencia , ruega por nosotros. Padrenuestro, avemaría y gloria.
9ª. San Antonio de Padua, querubín por la Oración , ruega por nosotros. Padrenuestro, avemaría y gloria.
10ª. San Antonio de Padua, celador de la Justicia , ruega por nosotros. Padrenuestro, avemaría y gloria.
11ª. San Antonio de Padua, dechado de Templanza , ruega por nosotros. Padrenuestro, avemaría y gloria.
12ª. San Antonio de Padua, perla de Pobreza , ruega por nosotros. Padrenuestro, avemaría y gloria.
13ª. San Antonio de Padua modelo de Constancia , ruega por nosotros. Padrenuestro, avemaría y gloria.

LAS TRES AVEMARÍAS.

1ª. Virgen purísima antes del parto, ruega por nosotros. Avemaría.
2ª Virgen purísima en el parto, ruega por nosotros. Avemaría.
3ª. Virgen purísima después del parto, ruega por nosotros. Avemaría.

RESPONSORIO DE SAN ANTONIO.

Tomando la medalla del Santo en la mano se concluye la coronilla rezando el Responsorio y Oración de San Antonio.

Si buscas milagros, mira:
Muerte y error desterrados,
Miseria y demonio huidos,
Leprosos y enfermos sanos.

El mar sosiega su ira,
Redímense encarcelados,
Miembros y bienes perdidos
Recobran mozos y ancianos.

El peligro se retira,
Los pobres van remediados;
Cuéntenlo los socorridos,
Díganlo los paduanos.

El mar sosiega su ira,
Redímense encarcelados,
Miembros y bienes perdidos
Recobran mozos y ancianos.

Gloria al Padre, Gloria al Hijo, gloria al Espíritu Santo.
Ruega a Cristo por nosotros, Antonio divino y santo, para que dignos así de sus promesas seamos.

Oración final. Haced, oh Señor, que la intercesión de vuestro Confesor San Antonio, llene de alegría a vuestra Iglesia, para que siempre sea protegida con los auxilios espirituales y merezca alcanzar los eternos gozos. Por Cristo, nuestro Señor. Amen.

Rosário de Santo António

O Rosário de Santo Antônio é formado por 39 contas distribuidas em 13 grupos de 3 contas. Cada grupo de 3 contas se inicia com uma invocação e a continuação se reza um Pai-Nosso na primeira conta, uma Ave-Maria na segunda e um glória na terceira.

Concluidos os 13 grupos de contas, se finaliza o Rosário com a reza do Responsório.

Oração Preparatória.

Pelo sinal da Santa Cruz…

Senhor meu Jesus Cristo...Abri, Senhor meus lábios para bendizer vosso Santo Nome e o de vossa Santíssima Mãe, a bem-aventurada Virgem Maria ao rezar os Treze Pai-Nossos, Ave-Maria e glórias em honra de vosso servo António, cujas virtudes desejo, com vossa graça, copiar na terra, para depois aproveitar de vossa glória no céu. Amém.

Invocações

1ª. Santo António de Pádua, apóstolo pela fé, rogai por nós.