Doctor Evangelicus

Today was the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, Doctor of the Church. He was born Fernando Martins de Bulhões in Lisbon in about 1195. He eventually joined the Franciscans and was discovered to have an extraordinary gift for preaching on Scripture, for which reason he is occasional called the Ark of the Testament. He died of ergotism on June 13, 1231, which is why the disease is sometimes called St. Anthony's Fire, and was canonized in May of the next year. The Alamo was originally named after him, Misión San Antonio de Valero, which is why the city of San Antonio has the name it does.