Saint Who?
Saints Who Are Patrons of Peoples and Places
Saint Patricia
Virgin († c. 665) Feast: August 25
Patricia was born in Constantinople in the seventh century. Said to have been a descendant of the emperor Constantine, she possessed wealth and status in her home of Constantinople. But as a young girl she vowed herself to God, and when her parents arranged a marriage for her, she fled to Rome, accompanied by a friend.
In Rome, the pope accepted her vow of virginity. Later Patricia returned to Constantinople, where her father had since died, to distribute her inheritance to the poor. Then she set out on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. A fierce storm forced her ship in the opposite direction, and she and her companion landed at Naples.
They formed a small community there, but Patricia died in a few months at the age of 21. She is one of the secondary patrons of Naples, behind Saint Januarius. She is also invoked by women seeking a good husband. Centuries after her death, it is said, a soldier pulled a tooth out of her body to serve as a relic. Blood flowed out, and a small vial was collected. For the past eleven centuries, this blood has liquified every Tuesday and on her feast day, August 25.
Almighty Father, through the prayers of Saint Patricia, bless your children with a living desire to serve you.
