St Anthony Prayer for Lost Things and Lost People
The beloved finder of what is missing, from keys to wandering hearts
Morning Prayer editorial team · Updated: November 2026
Saint Anthony of Padua has been helping people find lost things for eight hundred years. Pray this for the object you cannot find, and then for the deeper things that get lost too.
Let us pray
Saint Anthony, gentle friend of the poor and finder of lost things, I come to you with something I have lost. You know what it is and where it is, even though I do not. Please help me find it.
I have searched the obvious places and the unlikely ones. I have retraced my steps. I am frustrated and a little embarrassed to be asking a saint about something so small. But you have never thought any request too small, and so I ask: guide my eyes and my memory, and bring what is lost back into my hands.
While I am here, Saint Anthony, I remember the other things that get lost. The friendship that drifted away over a misunderstanding. The peace I had before this worry started. The faith of someone I love who has stopped going to church. The patience I seem to misplace every evening around dinnertime. Pray for these to be found, too.
You preached the Gospel so clearly that even the fish are said to have listened. Help me to hear it clearly as well, so that I do not lose sight of the one thing that matters most.
Saint Anthony, pray for me, and bring back what I have lost, both the small things and the great ones. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessing
May Saint Anthony help you find what is lost, and may you never lose your way to God.
How to pray this prayer
- Find a quiet moment and breathe slowly.
- Read the prayer aloud or in your heart.
- Add your own intention before the Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Saint Anthony the patron of lost things?
Tradition says a novice stole Saint Anthony's book of psalms and returned it after Anthony prayed. Since then, people have asked his help in finding lost items.
Is there a short version of the Saint Anthony prayer?
Many people simply say: Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, please come around; something is lost and cannot be found. It is informal but sincere, and that is what matters.
When is Saint Anthony's feast day?
June 13. Many churches bless bread on that day in memory of his love for the poor.
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