S.A.G. — St. Anthony Guide In 1729, a Spanish merchant named Antonio Dante left for Lima, Peru, to establish a business, leaving his wife behind in Spain. Over time, she wrote him many letters but received no response, growing increasingly anxious and heartbroken. In an act of faith, she visited the Church of St. Francis in Oviedo and placed a letter into the hand of a large statue of St. Anthony, praying, “St. Anthony, I pray to thee; let this letter reach him and obtain for me a speedy reply.” The next day, she returned to the church and saw her letter still in the statue’s hand. Distraught, she began to cry. A priest noticed her distress and, after hearing her story, attempted to remove the letter but couldn’t. He asked the woman to try, and she easily pulled it out—but it wasn’t the same letter she had placed there. To her astonishment, it was a reply from her husband. As she removed it, 300 gold coins fell from the statue’s sleeve. A number of the friars were called and ran to the scene and waited while the miraculous letter was opened. The letter was dated July 23, 1729 and 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 [coins], 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" This miraculous event was witnessed by the friars, and the letter was preserved at the Franciscan Monastery in Oviedo. In memory of this occurrence, the faithful began writing S.A.G.— St. Anthony Guide —on their envelopes, entrusting their safe delivery to the saint’s intercession.
