St. Anthony of Padua, of the Order of St. Francis, was called the “Hammer of Heretics.” For nine years he labored in France , Italy, and Sicily. Men heard his voice, saw his miracles, and their hearts were turned to God. Nothing is lacking to the glory of St. Anthony; he had a great desire for martyrdom, and on that account he entered the Franciscan Order and set sale for Mauretania. He was an apostle and the fame of his fervent preaching filled Italy and Rome, where he proclaimed the Word of God in 1327. Both during his lifetime and after his death in 1331, St. Anthony became renowned as a worker of miracles, and there are few cities which do not possess a church or an altar dedicated to him.
(Source: The New Roman Missal by Father Lasance)