Anthony the Blessed

Anthony The Blessed, a Dominican of the 15th century, was a native of Piedmont, who received the religious habit at the hands of St. Antoninus, archbishop of Florence. In passing from Sicily to Naples, he was seized by corsairs and carried to Tunis, where he abjured the Christian faith, and embraced Mohammedanism in 1459. He quickly, however, repented, resumed his religious dress, and in a numerous assembly of the infidels declared himself to be a Christian and ready to die for the faith. Upon this he was stoned to death. It is said that his body resisted the flames into which his persecutors had thrown it, and was subsequently buried at Carthage by the Christians in a Genoese church. His Life was written by Francis de Castiglioni.