Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Saint Anthony of Padua was born in Lisbon, Portugal, on August 15, 1195, into a well-to-do family and was baptized Fernando Martins de Bulhões. As a young man he entered the Canons Regular, studying theology and Scripture with zeal, and after his ordination served humbly in hospitality. Inspired by the martyrdom of early Franciscans, he embraced the new Order of Friars Minor, taking the name Anthony, and longed to preach Christ even to the point of martyrdom. Illness thwarted his mission to Morocco, and providence carried him to Italy, where a hidden life of prayer prepared him for public ministry. His gift for preaching burst forth unexpectedly at Forlì, revealing a mind steeped in the Bible and a heart aflame with love for the poor and the sick. He became a trusted teacher of the Franciscans, an eloquent preacher across France and Italy, and a leader based in Padua. Remembered for miracles and for help in recovering lost things, he was canonized swiftly after his death in 1231 and later named a Doctor of the Church. His feast day is June 13.

Saint Cetteus, also known as Ceteus or Peregrinus, lived in sixth-century Italy; the details of his birth are not known. In 590, during the pontificate of Pope Gregory the Great, he was chosen as bishop of Amiternum in Sabina, shepherding his people in a time of fear and instability as Lombard forces pressed into the region. Tradition recounts that when Amiternum fell under the control of Lombard captains, Cetteus refused to lend them support and fled to Rome. At Pope Gregory’s urging, and trusting a promise of mercy for the townspeople, he returned—seeking peace and protection for his flock. When conflict erupted among the occupiers, the citizens wished to kill one of the captains, but Cetteus intervened to spare his life. Misjudged for this act of restraint, he was condemned and executed: a stone was tied to his neck and he was thrown from a bridge into the river. His body was carried to Pescara, where fishermen found and honored him, and he came to be venerated as the patron saint of Pescara. His feast day is June 13.