Saint Anthony's feast day, 13 June
13 June is not a birthday. It is the day Anthony died, in 1231, and the feast has stood there ever since. Here is what happens on it.
The day he died
Anthony died on 13 June 1231 at Arcella, just outside Padua. He was thirty-five. In the calendar a saint's feast almost always falls on the day of death rather than of birth, and for him that is 13 June.
From Lisbon to Padua
Born in Lisbon in 1195 under the name Fernando, died near Padua. The two cities still share him: in Lisbon 13 June is a city holiday, in Padua the basilica draws visitors all year.
Canonised in under a year
Gregory IX declared him a saint on 30 May 1232 at Spoleto, three hundred and fifty-two days after his death. It is the fastest canonisation in the history of the Church.
What happens on the day
Bread is handed out, lilies are brought to be blessed, in Brazil the trezena ends and the June festivals begin. None of it is required, and none of it promises anything.
If you would rather write an intention down on that day than wait for it, this site is built for that. You pay only if it comes true, and only if you want to.
Write your intention down