Bl. Elisabetta Sanna
Patron Saint of Franciscan Tertiaries
Blessed Elisabetta Sanna was a collaborator of St. Vincent Pallotti and a missionary disciple in every sense. After being widowed, Elisabetta left for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1830, but she was left stranded in Rome, unable to travel further or back, because of debilitating illness. Even though she was suffering from the illness and separated from her family, Elisabetta decided to spend her time in Rome helping those in need. She helped educate children in the Catechism, and helped provide women in Rome with a religious education. St. Vincent Pallotti was her spiritual director for 20 years, and she is considered the mother of the Union of the Catholic Apostolate. Through selfless actions, spiritual guidance, and intense prayer, she witnessed Christ to others as a missionary disciple. When she died, she was recalled by many for her holiness.