Counter-Reformation (16th century)
Feast: August 7
A wealthy priest who gave away everything, refused to fundraise, and trusted God so completely that he became the patron saint of the unemployed.
Cajetan had a law degree from Padua and a comfortable position in the Roman curia when he decided none of it was enough. He was ordained a priest, joined an oratory of devout laymen and clergy in Rome, and began visiting hospitals — particularly the Hospital for Incurables, where he washed patients no one else would touch. In 1524, he co-founded the Theatines, a small order of priests committed to living like the early apostles: no property, no begging, no fundraising. They would simply trust that God would provide. This was not metaphorical austerity — the Theatines literally waited for food to show up. Sometimes it did; sometimes they went hungry. When imperial troops sacked Rome in 1527, Cajetan was beaten and imprisoned by soldiers looking for hidden treasure. He had none. He moved to Naples and spent his remaining years building hospitals and caring for plague victims. He died in 1547, reportedly of a broken heart over the wars and divisions tearing Italy apart. His radical trust in divine providence made him the patron saint of job seekers and the unemployed — people who know what it means to wait and trust when the future is uncertain.