The Diocese of Phoenix recently celebrated the feast day of St. Lucy, loved for her dedication to the faith and unwillingness to compromise on her morals; her feast day is celebrated on Dec. 13.

She is the patron saint of blindness, her name comes from the word for “light” or “lucid,” according to Catholic.com.

“Today is the Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr. Ora pro nobis!” the Diocese of Phoenix posted on Facebook, asking that the saint intercede for them. 

According to Britannica, “Saint Lucy, who is also known as St. Lucia, was born into a wealthy Sicilian family, but she had no interest in material goods. Following in the footsteps of St. Agatha, Lucy vowed to remain a virgin. However, an angry man who was interested in marrying Lucy reported her to Roman authorities. The authorities ordered for her to be sent to a brothel and forced into prostitution. But according to legend, St. Lucy was saved by divine intervention: she became immovable.  She literally could not be taken to the brothel. The authorities then sentenced her to die by fire, but the flames could not harm her. She was finally killed with a sword. Her feast day is celebrated on Dec. 13.”

In Nordic countries — Sweden, Norway and Finland — the celebration is called St. Lucia’s Day. The day is marked by children wearing white and walking in procession while singing. Girls often will wear wreaths with candles on their heads, connecting the saint’s name to the season in which the light of the world, Christ, came into the world. 

One of the popular foods to be eaten on St. Lucia’s day is the Lussekatts, a bun that is flavored with saffron and filled with raisins. It is a breakfast bread and is shaped in an ‘s’ pattern.