Missionary in Morocco

Lorenzo Brunazzo

While Fernando (St. Anthony’s baptismal name) was completing his studies to become a priest at the Augustinian rectory in Coimbra, an event occurred in Morocco (across the Strait of Gibraltar) that would leave a deep mark on him and lead him to take the Franciscan habit. In the biography I wrote for the liturgical Office of Canonisation, I recounted this event as follows: ‘The blood of innocents is shed by the hands of the wicked; a ferocious king, raging with hate against Christ, draws his scimitar against the Friars Minor, whose torment was resplendent with wonders; because He who came down from heaven, and for whose love they suffered, became the bread of life for the dying.’ In transporting those venerable relics from Morocco, the famous Infante Peter made it known to all that he had been freed from grave dangers through their merit and spread the story of their admirable martyrdom. The fame of the event did not echo in vain in the ears of Ferdinand, so he was suddenly filled with the ardour of faith. Meditating with extraordinary compassion on the insults brought upon Christ and the killing of the martyrs, he concluded that his mission was to…