Anthony of Padua, St

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Anthony of Padua, St (1195–1231), Portuguese Franciscan friar, whose charismatic preaching in the south of France and Italy made many converts. He is sometimes shown preaching to fishes (as St Francis is shown with birds), and in one popular legend a mule kneels before him, rejecting a bundle of hay in favour of the consecrated hosts. His devotion to the poor is commemorated by alms known as St Anthony's bread; he is also invoked to find lost articles.

He is often shown with a book and a lily, in the company of the Christ Child; he may also be represented in a nut-tree to mark his preference for solitude. His feast day is 13 June.

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Saint Anthony of Padua

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