OFM Franciscans - India

Life Of St. Anthony

St. Anthony of Padua is one of the most famous disciples of St. Francis of Assisi. He was a famous preacher and worker of miracles in his own day, and throughout the eight centuries since his death he has so generously come to the assistance of the faithful who invoke him, that he is known throughout the world.

St. Anthony's Youth & Conversion

St. Anthony was born in the year 1195 A. D. at Lisbon (Portugal) where his father was a captain in the royal army. Already at the age of fifteen years, he had entered the Congregation of Canons Regular of St. Augustine and devoted himself with great earnestness both to study and to the practice of piety in the Monastery at Coimbra (Portugal).

About that time some of the first members of the Order of Friars Minor, which St. Francis has founded in 1206 A. D. came to Coimbra. They begged from the Canons Regular a small and very poor place, from which by their evangelical poverty and simplicity they edified everyone in the region. Then in 1219 A. D. some of these friars, moved by divine inspiration, went as missionaries to preach the Gospel of Christ to the inhabitants of Morocco. There they were brutally martyred for the Faith. Some Christian merchants succeeded in recovering their remains; and so brought their relics in triumph back to Coimbra.

The relics of St. Bernard and companions, the first martyrs of the Franciscan Order, seized St. Anthony with an intense desire to suffer martyrdom in a like manner. So moved by their heroic example he repeatedly begged and petitioned his superiors to be given leave to join the Franciscan Order. In the quiet little Franciscan convent at Coimbra he received a friendly reception, and in the same year his earnest wish to be sent to the missions in Africa was fulfilled.

St. Anthony's Arrival in Italy

But God had decreed otherwise. And so, St. Anthony scarcely set foot on African soil when he was seized with a grievous illness. Even after recovering from it, he was so weak that, resigning himself to the will of God, he boarded a boat back to Portugal. Unexpectedly a storm came upon them and drove the ship to the east where it found refuge on coast of Sicily. St. Anthony was greeted and given shelter by the Franciscans of that island, and thus came to be sent to Assisi, where the general chapter of the Order was held in May, 1221 A. D..

Since he still looked weak and sickly, and gave no evidence of his scholarship, no one paid any attention to the stranger until Father Gratian, the Provincial of friars living in the region of Romagna (Italy), had compassion on him and sent him to the quiet little convent near Forli (also in Italy). There St. Anthony remained nine months as chaplain to the hermits, occupied in the lowliest duties of the kitchen and convent, and to his heart's content he practiced interior as well as exterior mortification.

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

ST. FRANCIS

ST. FRANCIS

FRIARS' BIRTHDAY (October)

Date

Name of the Friars

Events

Year

04

St.Francis of Assisi

Robin Lakra

Pratap Reddy Salibindla

Arulsamy A.

Thomas Joseph

Bobby V.T.

Johnny Anthony

Athanasius Xaxa

Leos Ekka

Solemnity

Birth

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows


1974

1988

1988

1988

1988

1989

1991

1991

06

Salim Joseph

Babu Jose Pamplany

James N.

Trevor D’ Souza

Malom - Noatoli

+ George Muthaiah

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

Arrival

Home

1991

1991

1991

1991

1995

2002

08

North Guwahati

Salvador D’ Souza

Arrival

Ordination

1999

2011

10

+ Gerald D’ Souza

Home

2013

14

+ Bosco Jayaraj

Tony D’ Souza

Home

Ordination

1970

1990

15

Joy Sebastian

Prasad Rao K.

Birth

Birth

1972

1990

19

Provincialate

Marius Dahanga

Blessing

Birth

1998

1992

21

+ Basil Devasagayam

Arockiasamy P.

Eliyas Reddy

Home

Birth

Birth

1965

1970

1995

26

Gerald Lobo

Birth

1951

27

+ Paschal Lobo

Jose Palimattom

Benjamin Jojo

Anil Xalxo

Thumma Ranjith Kumar Reddy

Home

Birth

Birth

Birth

Birth

1956

1967

1975

1979

1988

28

Teiborlang Wartde

Birth

1987

30

Austin Francis

Birth

1972

30

Punitha Anthoniar Illam - Madurai

Blessing

1994

31

Manish Ekka

Birth

1993