Saint Lucy is the patron saint of the blind and those with eye illnesses. She was born to wealthy parents, but her father died when she was only five years old. Lucy was a Christian from a young age, though the Romans at that time viewed Christianity as a crime.
As she grew older, her mother suffered from a serious illness that caused her chronic pain. Wanting to see Lucy married, her mother arranged a marriage for her. When her mother’s health worsened, Lucy convinced her to visit St. Agatha’s shrine and pray. They stayed in prayer through the night. During that time, Lucy had a vision in which St. Agatha told her that her mother would be healed and that Lucy would bring glory to Syracuse.
Her mother recovered, converted to Christianity, and allowed Lucy to give her wealth to the poor.
When Lucy’s fiancé learned that she no longer planned to marry and that she had given her dowry away, he became angry and reported her faith to the governor. Lucy was offered a chance to deny her faith, but she refused. The guards attempted to drag her away to be punished publicly, but Lucy stood firm, strengthened by the Holy Spirit. They tied her to a stake, but the fire would not harm her. The guards even gougedd out her eyes, yet Lucy continued to pray aloud.
Before her burial, her eyes were miraculously restored. Today, we honor Saint Lucy as the patron saint of those with blindness or eye illnesses.