For the Catholics, there is a powerful saint to find their lost things. St. Anthony of Padua is the same popular saint to find an item that was lost. There is a story behind the reason why St. Anthony is invoked during someone’s time of need. It is because of a precious book he lost during his life.
As he is a Franciscan priest, he used to teach and preach to his fellow Franciscans. While he was staying at a Franciscan monastery at Montpellier, the Saint kept with him a book of Psalms that he copied by hand, which had his notes and commentary that he used while teaching theology to his students.
It was the time the books were hard to come by and not easily produced. In the 13th century, it would have been very difficult or even impossible for St. Anthony to replace the book if it were ever lost.
One day, one of his pupils decided to leave the Franciscan community. He left by taking the book to which Saint Anthony used to refer. The day he left the monastery, St. Anthony couldn’t find his book of Psalms! St. Anthony became deeply distressed. He was in a dilemma about not knowing what he would do without the book. He had no idea where this young man went and it was nearly impossible to track him down.
Trusting in God, St. Anthony prayed that the novice would have a change of heart and return the book. Soon after some time, the young man turned around and gave the book back to St. Anthony, and sought his forgiveness. He also returned to the Franciscans and St. Anthony forgave the novice, exhorting him to never do something like that again.
That same book is said to be preserved in the Franciscan monastery in Bologna, Italy.
After the death of St. Anthony, this story became a “legend” and spread like wildfire. He quickly became known as a powerful intercessor for lost things and his reputation has only grown over the years.