08/20/2026
Walking with the Saints | St. Anthony of Padua
This year, our school theme is “Walking with the Saints, Our Eyes Fixed on Jesus.”
Throughout the year, we will learn from the lives of the saints, ordinary men and women who faced hardship, uncertainty, sacrifice, and doubt, yet continued forward because their eyes remained fixed on Christ. Their example reminds us that holiness is not reserved for a select few, but is something each of us is called to pursue.
And where better to begin than with the saint whose name our school carries: St. Anthony of Padua.
Born in Lisbon around 1195, St. Anthony became a Franciscan friar and one of the great preachers of his time.
His preaching ministry began unexpectedly. In 1222, while attending an ordination, Anthony was asked to preach on the spot. Those gathered were astonished by his knowledge of Scripture and his ability to communicate the faith with clarity and humility. His remarkable gift for preaching had been discovered.
A longstanding tradition tells of Anthony later preaching in Rimini, where people refused to listen to him. He went to the shoreline and began preaching to the fish instead. According to the story, the fish gathered near the surface as if listening, drawing the people back to hear his message.
St. Anthony is also widely known as the patron saint of lost things, a devotion traditionally connected to the recovery of a treasured book of Psalms that had been taken from him. For generations, Catholics have asked for his intercession when something has been lost.
Anthony is often shown holding the Child Jesus, recalling the tradition that near the end of his life he experienced a vision of Jesus appearing to him as a child.
Together, these stories remind us of a saint devoted to Scripture, preaching, charity, and bringing others closer to Christ.
We are excited to share these beautiful statues throughout our school. Every statue has been made possible by generous individuals and families who gave specifically for that purpose.
We are especially grateful to our school’s founders, Laura and Robert Higgins , whose generosity provided this statue of St. Anthony, giving our students a beautiful reminder of the saint whose name our school proudly carries.
As we begin this series, we pray that the example of the saints helps our students grow in faith, virtue, knowledge, and service, always with their eyes fixed on Jesus.
St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us.
