One of the most popular saints in the Roman Catholic Church in the modern era is St. Anthony of Padua, a saint known for finding lost things, especially lost car keys.
Yet, he is not the Anthony who is described as "the Great." That title belongs to St. Anthony the Abbot, a saint who is more well-known in the Eastern Church, but who still has relevance for the entire Church.
St. Anthony the Great
Generally speaking, "the Great" title is given to a saint after reviewing their influence in the world and the Catholic Church. For example, St. Gregory I is known as "the Great" for his profound theological writings, strong Church leadership, and enduring contributions to the liturgy, such as Gregorian chant.
St. Anthony had a profound impact on the Church, especially the formation of religious life. As the Catholic Encyclopedia explains, "He is justly recognized as the father not only of monasticism, strictly so called, but of the technical religious life in every shape and form. Few names have exercised on the human race an influence more deep and lasting, more widespread, or on the whole more beneficent."
One of the reasons his influence was so widespread was the popularity of his biography, as Pope Benedict XVI explained in a general audience:
Athanasius also wrote meditational texts on the Psalms, subsequently circulated widely, and in particular, a work that constitutes the bestseller of early Christian literature: The Life of Anthony, that is, the biography of St Anthony Abbot. It was written shortly after this Saint's death precisely while the exiled Bishop of Alexandria was staying with monks in the Egyptian desert.
The exemplary biography of this figure dear to Christian tradition soon became very popular, almost immediately translated into Latin, in two editions, and then into various Oriental languages; it made an important contribution to the spread of monasticism in the East and in the West.
In addition to his significance, St. Anthony was named "the Great" to distinguish him from saints of the same names.
There are many Anthonys in the Catholic Church, but none as influential as St. Anthony the Abbot.
