Lovingly caring for those who cannot care for themselves is a core belief of those who are pro-life. And it makes complete sense. We need only read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which teaches that we should protect the people around us, no matter their ability or state in life, and listen to Jesus Himself, who in the Gospel of Matthew said, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of Mine, you did for Me,” to understand this.
Many of the saints lived out these commands. They cared so deeply for “the least of these” that they dedicated their lives to serving as Christ’s hands here on earth.
As we look around our world today, we can choose to dwell on and become anxious by the negatives, or we can choose to be cognizant of those things yet live with complete trust in the Lord, shining His light to others. That means that we share our talents and even sometimes our treasures with those around us. That means we look outside ourselves and open our hearts to those who are suffering. And that means we treat others as we want to be treated.
So as we enter Lent, a time when we focus on Christ’s own suffering and on the unimaginable joy at His Resurrection, let us look to the saints for inspiration for how to treat the suffering around us. Below are five saints you probably have never heard of, but they all made a profound impact on their communities by refusing to let the world fill them with bitterness and hate. I pray that their examples inspire you to do the same.
1. Saint Margaret of Castello
Born in 13th century Italy to wealthy parents, Margaret suffered from several birth defects, including dwarfism, a curved spine that caused her to walk hunched over, and blindness. Her parents were so disappointed in her conditions that they locked her away, but the family’s chaplain took pity on her and taught her about God. When she was 16, her parents took her to a shrine hoping for a miracle, but they did not get that miracle and abandoned her in the city. Some kind people took her in and cared for her, and she later became a member of the Dominican Third Order of Castello. There, she deepened her prayer life and devoted herself to taking care of others. She comforted the sick, sat with the dying, and visited prisoners, never allowing her own suffering to keep her from helping those around her. Margaret died at the age of 33, having made a profound impact on all who knew her.
With today’s prenatal testing, many children like Margaret would be killed by abortion. Let us ask Saint Margaret for her intercession so that our society will grow to see human beings of all abilities as infinitely precious and valuable.
2. Saint Maria Bertilla Boscardin
Born in Italy in the late 1800s, Maria lived with her father, who was a violent drunk and who forced her to neglect school and instead work in the fields. But Maria had a passion for her faith, and she loved God with her whole heart. When she was just a teenager, she joined the Sisters of Saint Dorothy and began working in the kitchen. As she grew older, she trained as a nurse and found her calling in working with sick children who were hospitalized. She spent the remainder of her days caring for those who had no one.
It’s heartbreaking to see children suffering from diseases that threaten their lives. Let us pray to Saint Maria for her guidance as we discern how to help families who need extra love and care.
3. Saint Joseph Cottolengo
Joseph was born in Italy in the late 1700s. From a young age, he knew he wanted to become a priest, and he was ordained in 1811. He gave all of his money to the needy and founded a house for the poor in Turin, where he made it a point to care for both their bodies and souls. His ministry began slowly, with just two nuns and a person dying of cancer, but people soon heard of his compassion, and not only did additional poor and sick people go to him, but so did those who wanted to donate their time and finances. In 1832, Joseph founded another house that served the poor and the sick. He died in 1842 after contracting typhoid from a patient.
Today, with the rise of assisted suicide laws and medical aid in dying, those who are sick are made to feel like burdens rather than as brothers and sisters who need care. Let us pray to Saint Joseph that our society learns to value even those who are sick.
4. Saint Maria Soledad
Maria was born in Spain in 1826 and had a special devotion to Mary. Her faith grew, and when she was 25, she joined the Institute of the Servants of Mary—a congregation created by a local priest with the goal of taking care of sick people in their own homes. The Servants of Mary site explains that “with the total gift of herself, [Maria] went about showering the most exquisite and diligent charity upon the sick and poor. With profound humility and her great capacity to love, she understood the richness that the poor and sick possessed: They were nothing less than Christ Himself, the Divine Patient.” Maria saw Christ in every person she cared for and died at the age of 61.
Today, division clouds our eyesight, and hatred has taken center stage on social media and on TV. Let us pray to Saint Maria that, like her, we learn to see everyone through the eyes of Christ and treat them with love and respect.
5. Saint Luigi Guanella
Luigi was born in Italy in 1842 and entered the seminary at the young age of 12; he was ordained at 24. He had a passion for helping young homeless boys, and for many years he worked with Saint John Bosco in his ministry. This led him to start his own ministry helping both boys and girls who had been “abandoned and rejected by society because of their physical and mental disabilities.” Reports say that he was unstoppable and that no matter where he encountered adversity, he worked to overcome it. To this end, he “wrote books, articles, and speeches to present to society the problem of those with disabilities and to further their acceptance as brothers and sisters and as blessings from God.” He eventually opened a home for these “good children,” as he called them. Men and women alike joined in his efforts, and this led to the founding of two religious congregations: the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence and the Servants of Charity. He died in 1915 after a lifetime of service to others.
Today, people with disabilities are sometimes scorned or dismissed, as they are seen only for what they can or cannot do rather than who they are. Let us pray to Saint Joseph that everyone, regardless of ability, is cherished and loved.
These five saints remind us that those who are poor or who have disabilities are not lesser in the eyes of God. They are His beloved, as is every single person He created. God’s love for us is unfathomable, and we are charged to show that love to everyone around us, always remembering that whatever we do for others, we also do for Christ.
This article first appeared in LifeSiteNews at lifesitenews.com/blogs/remembering-five-little-known-saints-who-cared-for-the-vulnerable-and-sick/?utm_source=most_recent&utm_campaign=usa.
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