Which saint is the patron of the blind and of eye diseases?

Saint Lucy is traditionally the patron saint of the blind and of eye diseases.

Lucy of Syracuse was a Christian virgin and martyr associated with Syracuse in Sicily. She is traditionally said to have died during the Diocletianic Persecution around 304, and her feast day is celebrated on 13 December. Because later versions of her story describe her eyes being removed or miraculously restored, she became especially associated with sight.

Those eye-related details belong to later hagiographic traditions and are not present in the earliest surviving accounts of Lucy’s life. In one version, persecutors gouged out her eyes; in another, Lucy removed them herself to reject a persistent suitor. Religious art therefore often shows her holding eyes on a dish, alongside symbols such as a palm branch, lamp, or sword.

Saint Lucy is also associated with ophthalmologists, writers, Syracuse, and throat illnesses. A common mix-up is Saint Apollonia, who is chiefly associated with dentistry and toothache. Lucy’s name is related to the Latin word lux, meaning “light,” which further strengthened her connection with vision.