Saints and Holy People

Find out about their lives and how they changed the world

Saint Casilda of Toledo (d. 1050)

Saint Casilda of Toledo (d. 1050)

Patron saint against sterility

Feast day: April 9




Saint Casilda was the daughter of a Muslim leader in Toledo, Spain. Even though she was brought up in the Muslim religion, Casilda showed a special compassion for Christian prisoners.

When she became ill, she did not believe that any of the local Arab doctors could cure her. Instead, she traveled to northern Spain, seeking the healing waters of the shrine of San Vicente. Casilda was cured of her illness and converted to Christianity.

After her conversion, Casilda felt called to the solitary and prayerful life of a hermitess. She began her new life near the healing waters of the miraculous spring and lived to a very advanced age. 

(Image Francisco de Zurbarán, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)