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As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
October 6, 1888–October 20, 1922
Patron Saint of nurses, healthcare workers, the sick, and those who are rejected or ridiculed
St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin lived a quiet life of humble service, becoming known for her extraordinary charity toward the sick. Born in 1888 near Vicenza, Italy, she was the daughter of poor farmers. As a child, she was shy and struggled in school, but she possessed a deep faith and a desire to serve God.
At age 16, she entered the Sisters of Saint Dorothy, taking the religious name Maria Bertilla. Her superiors initially considered her too simple for certain responsibilities, but she persevered. After training as a nurse, she was assigned to care for sick children at a hospital in Treviso.
Maria Bertilla cared for patients with compassion. During World War I, she continued her work amid the chaos of combat. When the hospital was under threat, she helped care for patients who were difficult to move. She also served during an epidemic, risking her own health to remain with the sick.
Her humility was one of her defining virtues. She did not seek recognition or advancement and continued to serve every patient with dignity and charity.
Maria Bertilla’s health eventually declined, and she was diagnosed with cancer. She underwent surgery but continued to suffer from the disease. She died on October 20, 1922, at the age of 34.
After her death, devotion to Maria Bertilla spread rapidly. Pope Pius XII beatified her in 1952, and she was canonized on May 11, 1961. Miracles were reported through her intercession after her death.
Maria Bertilla’s desire to care for the sick developed naturally from her religious vocation. After entering the Sisters of Saint Dorothy, she studied nursing and was eventually assigned to a children’s hospital in Treviso. She especially loved caring for children who were seriously ill or considered difficult cases. Viewing her work as an opportunity to serve Christ in those who suffered, she expressed a desire to be “a poor servant of the sick.”
World War I brought extraordinary challenges to the hospital where Maria Bertilla served. When fighting approached Treviso in 1917, many patients had to be evacuated. She was particularly concerned about the children and other vulnerable patients who were difficult to move. She remained dedicated to their care even when the situation became dangerous. After the hospital was relocated, she continued nursing wounded soldiers and others affected by the war. Her dedication to serving suffering people despite dangerous circumstances was noticed by her superior, leading to her reassignment from laundry service to a children’s isolation ward at the hospital.
St. Maria Bertilla never held a prestigious position or accomplished anything that would ordinarily attract public attention. In fact, some of her superiors initially regarded her as lacking intelligence or ability. She accepted these judgments without resentment and continued faithfully performing whatever task was given to her. Her holiness was expressed through the ordinary tasks of nursing patients, cleaning, comforting children, obeying her superiors, and enduring her own physical suffering. Her actions exemplified her sanctity in quiet and meaningful ways and fulfilled the request she made to her superior as a novice, saying, “I can’t do anything. I’m a poor thing, a goose. Teach me. I want to be a saint.”
Get the free eBook, Sharing in Our Lord’s Passion: Stories of St. Francis of Assisi and Others Who Bore the Stigmata.
St. Francis of Assisi is the first recorded stigmatist in Church history. Since then, many holy men and women have experienced this mystical gift. In this free eBook, you’ll discover the stories of Sts. Francis, Catherine, Rita, and Pio of Pietrelcina, along with Servant of God Rhoda Wise. You’ll also learn more about the stigmata in a special Q&A with “Miracle Hunter” Michael O’Neill, host of several EWTN programs.
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As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
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