In the Catholic faith, patron saints are turned to for specific troubles or situations. Catholics pray with and through the saints for help with any and all life situations. Keep in mind, Catholics do not pray to saints, they ask the saints to help turn Jesus toward them. They also ask the saints to turn them toward them.
It’s more like asking for a friend to pray for you, rather than praying to them the way people pray to God.
There are several patron saints who watch over the blind and people with eye issues. Saint Lucy, Saint Odilia, Saint Alice (Sometimes called Saint Aleydis) and Saint Raphael the Archangel are four saints who can help people who have eye problems or are blind.
Saint Lucy
Saint Lucy was a brave young woman who stood up to the local authorities who tried to force her into prostitution because of her faith. She refused to stop believing no matter what was done to her.
There are two stories associated with eyes and Saint Lucy: One is that she plucked her own eyes out and another is that her captors gouged out her eyes. In both scenarios, her eyes were miraculously restored. Her feast day is December 13th.
Saint Odilia
Saint Odilia, who also shares her feast day with Saint Lucy, was born blind. Her parents, who had longed for a child, were disappointed with their blind daughter and ordered her killed or taken away.
The story goes that she was found by a nurse to royalty and she was raised by them. At 12, she was baptized and was no longer blind. She is the patron saint of opticians as well as the blind.
Saint Alice
Saint Alice entered the convent at the age of seven. When she was a teen, she got leprosy and later went blind. She’s also the patron saint of paralyzed people. Her feast day is June 15th.
Saint Raphael
Saint Raphael the archangel is the patron saint of many issues and causes, and one of them is blind. Saint Raphael is one of seven archangels. According to Catholic.org, Raphael means God heals, and this is why people with illnesses call on Saint Raphael for help. His feast day is September 29th.
There are numerous prayers and novenas a person with sight issues can pray. Many people wear medals bearing the image of a saint who has helped them or from whom they wish to receive help. Many people also carry prayer cards with the image of their saints and prayers on them. Another thing that some people do who have been helped by a saint is to write down a prayer to that saint and leave it in the church, with hopes that someone else will find it who needs it.
One of the most misinterpreted parts of being Catholic is also one of the best parts of being Catholic because, through the saints, Catholics can form deeper relationships with Jesus. If you have difficulties with your sight or are blind, you can turn to any of these saints for help and support.
