Some Catholics write the letters “S.A.G” (St. Anthony Guide) on the outside of their envelopes and packages before sending them. It’s a way to invoke St. Anthony to ensure the mail’s safe delivery.
What is the miraculous story in which this practice is rooted?
Read on to find out!
Through the intercession of St. Anthony of Padua, a miracle took place in Spain involving the delivery of an urgent letter.
According to Letters from the Saints, a Spanish merchant named Antonio Dante left his home in 1729 to travel to Lima, Peru for business. His wife, who had remained in Spain, wrote letters to him over the course of many months without receiving any reply.
Filled with worry and in dire financial straits, she wrote once again to her husband and brought the letter to the Church of St. Francis at Oviedo. There she placed the letter in the palm of a statue of St. Anthony of Padua and prayed fervently that he would deliver the letter to her husband. “St. Anthony, I pray to thee,” she said. “Let this letter reach him and obtain for me a speedy reply.”
The following day, she returned to the church to find her letter still in the hand of St. Anthony. As she began to weep, a Franciscan brother saw her and approached to tell her that he had tried to remove the letter from the hand of the statue but was unable to do so. When she took hold of the letter to remove it, she discovered that the letter was not the same one she left the day before, but was a new letter from her husband!
The letter read:
My dearest wife. For some time I have been expecting a letter from you, and I have been greatly troubled and concerned at not hearing from you. But at last your letter has come, and given me joy. It was a Father of the Order of St. Francis who brought it to me. You complain that I have left your letters unanswered. I assure you that when I did not receive any from you I believed you must be dead, and so you may imagine my happiness at the arrival of your letter. I answer you now by the same religious Father, and send you three hundred golden crowns, which should suffice for your support until my approaching return.
In the hope of soon being with you, I pray God for you, and I commend myself to my dear patron St. Anthony, and ardently desire that you may continue to send me tidings of yourself.
Your most affectionate,
Antonio Dante
Antonio’s wife was overcome with joy and gratitude to St. Anthony for the miraculous delivery of both her letter and her husband’s.
The original letter from Antonio has been preserved to this day by the friars of the Church of St. Francis at Oviedo.
Letters from the Saints notes:
Compared to times past, and even with the great increase in mail volume, today’s mail delivery is fairly reliable. However, it might not be a bad idea to place your snail mail (even your bills!) under the protection of St. Anthony of Padua by writing the abbreviation of S.A.G. on the envelope. It is like a little prayer for the recipient. Who knows? St. Anthony might answer those mail prayers in unexpected ways.
