St. Anthony Prayer for Lost Things and Other Prayers to St. Anthony

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St. Anthony of Padua is the saint Catholics turn to when something is lost. If you are looking for something right now, pray this short prayer, then search calmly:

St. Anthony, friend of Jesus and helper of all who seek,
I have lost (name the item) and cannot find it.
Please pray that I may find it, if it is God’s will,
and help me to stay calm and patient while I look.
Above all, help me never to lose Jesus, the greatest treasure.
Amen.

That prayer was written for this guide. Below you will find the traditional prayers to St. Anthony, including the medieval responsory that names him the finder of “treasures lost,” the story of why he is invoked for lost things, and his feast on June 13.

The traditional St. Anthony responsory (Si quaeris)

This hymn comes from the medieval Office of St. Anthony, composed by the Franciscan friar Julian of Speyer soon after the saint’s death. In Latin it begins Si quaeris miracula. Catholics have prayed it for centuries when something is lost, because it promises that “treasures lost are found again” through his prayers. Here it is in the traditional English translation printed in Father Lasance’s With God (1911):

If, then, you ask for miracles,
Death, error, all calamities.
The leprosy, and demons fly,
And health succeeds infirmities.

The sea obeys, and fetters break;
And lifeless limbs thou dost restore;
Whilst treasures lost are found again,
When young or old thine aid implore.

All dangers vanish at thy prayer,
And direst need doth quickly flee;
Let those who know, thy power proclaim,
Let Paduans say: These are of thee.

The sea obeys, and fetters break;
And lifeless limbs thou dost restore;
Whilst treasures lost are found again,
When young or old thine aid implore.

To Father, Son, may glory be,
And Holy Ghost eternally.
The sea obeys, etc.

V. Pray for us, blessed Anthony.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, may the votive commemoration of blessed Anthony, your confessor, be a source of joy to your Church, that she may always be fortified with spiritual help and deserve to possess eternal joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Aspirations to St. Anthony

These short invocations, also from With God, ask St. Anthony’s help for every kind of need. Pray one or all of them:

St. Anthony, we beseech thee, obtain for us the grace that we desire.

St. Anthony, great wonder-worker, intercede for us that God may grant us our request, if it be for the good of our soul.

St. Anthony, be our patron, our protector, and our advocate in life and in death.

St. Anthony, attentive to those who invoke thee, grant us the aid of thy powerful intercession for the grace of holy purity, meekness, humility, obedience, the spirit of poverty, and perfect abandonment to the will of God.

St. Anthony, servant of Mary, obtain for us greater devotion to the blessed Mother of God.

St. Anthony, obtain for us the grace of perseverance, the grace of a happy death.

A prayer to St. Anthony for healing

St. Anthony is also invoked for the sick. This prayer was written for this guide.

St. Anthony, you brought the love of Christ to the poor and the suffering.
I ask your prayers for N., who is ill.
Ask the Lord to give him (her) strength, comfort and, if it is his will, healing.
Stay near those who care for him (her),
and keep our hearts full of hope. Amen.

For more, see the Prayers of the Faithful for the sick.

Why St. Anthony is the patron of lost things

The best-known story says that a young friar who wanted to leave the community took St. Anthony’s book of psalms, precious because Anthony had written his teaching notes in its margins. Anthony prayed for its return, and the novice was moved to bring the book back and return to the order. Whatever the details, the story spread, and the medieval responsory above already named him the finder of lost things. The original Catholic Encyclopedia notes that he is “especially invoked for the recovery of things lost.”

Many Catholics also learned a children’s rhyme, “Tony, Tony, look around, something’s lost and must be found.” It is a playful way to ask his help, not a formula. What matters is turning to God in trust.

Who was St. Anthony of Padua?

  • Born in Lisbon around 1195 to a noble family and baptized Fernando.
  • An Augustinian canon in Lisbon and Coimbra, where he studied Scripture deeply.
  • Became a Franciscan in 1220, taking the name Anthony, after seeing the relics of five Franciscan friars martyred in Morocco. He set out for Morocco himself, but illness forced him back, and he ended up in Italy.
  • A famous preacher. His preaching drew huge crowds in Italy and France, and he spoke out strongly for the poor and against usury.
  • Died near Padua on June 13, 1231, at about 36 years of age.
  • Canonized in 1232, less than a year after his death, by Pope Gregory IX, who had heard him preach.
  • Declared a Doctor of the Church in 1946 by Pope Pius XII, with the title Doctor Evangelicus, “the Evangelical Doctor.”

Pope Benedict XVI devoted a general audience to him in 2010, calling him “one of the most popular Saints in the whole Catholic Church.”

Feast day and devotions

  • Feast day: June 13, a memorial in the universal Church.
  • Tuesdays are traditionally dedicated to St. Anthony, because he was buried on a Tuesday. Many people make a devotion of thirteen Tuesdays before his feast.
  • St. Anthony’s Bread is the custom of giving alms to the poor in thanksgiving for a favor received. Many churches have a “St. Anthony’s Bread” box for this purpose.
  • Patron of: lost things, the poor, travelers, sailors, Portugal and Padua, among others.

Frequently asked questions

What is the prayer to St. Anthony for lost items?

Any sincere prayer asking St. Anthony’s help will do. Use the short prayer at the top of this page or the traditional responsory Si quaeris. Then search calmly and patiently.

Does the St. Anthony prayer always work?

Prayer is not a magic formula, and the Church warns against treating it as one (CCC 2111). We ask for St. Anthony’s prayers and trust God with the outcome. Many people do find what they lost, and many also find peace while they search.

Why is St. Anthony often shown holding the Child Jesus?

A traditional story says he was seen holding the Child Jesus while praying. The image also expresses his deep love for Christ’s humanity, which is central in his sermons.

Is St. Anthony of Padua the same as St. Anthony the Abbot?

No. St. Anthony the Abbot (or Anthony of Egypt, died 356) was the father of monks, whose feast is January 17. St. Anthony of Padua is the thirteenth-century Franciscan honored on June 13.

More prayers to the saints

Texts and sources