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The History of Two Anthonys: Why Saint Anthony of Padua Named Himself After Saint Anthony of Egypt

Writer's picture: Simone RizkallahSimone Rizkallah



Saint Anthony of Padua is one of the most popular saints in the Church—and not just for Roman Catholics, but for Eastern Catholics, as well as some members of the Orthodox Churches.


My Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) grandmother asked Saint Anthony for help in conceiving a baby, so my mother and I have a strong devotion to him!


My other Syrian Orthodox grandmother was named after him, “Antoinette;” so we called her "Teta (Arabic for grandmother) Tuna” or “Tony." There are a lot of “Teta Tunas” in the Near East because of this saint!


What most Roman Catholics do not know is that Saint Anthony of Padua took his name from another Anthony—Saint Anthony of Egypt!


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