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Artémides Zatti was an amazing missionary who never stopped developing his talents and then sharing them with others. In fact, he has come to be known as the “The Nurse of the Poor.”
Artémides was born on October 12, 1880 in Italy. He had three brothers and four sisters.
When he was nine years old, Artémides had to drop out of school because his family was so poor. So, at the age of nine, he went to work for a rich neighbor.
In February of 1897, when Artémides was sixteen years old, his family decided that Italy was not a good place for them to live because of the climate and the poor economy. Therefore, they moved their family to Argentina where one of their family members lived.
Upon arrival in Argentina, Artémides began working in a hotel and in a brick factory. And despite his poor educational foundation, Artémides must have found time to continue his education on his own, for eventually he became a pharmacist and, later, earned his diploma in nursing.
In 1901, Artémides contacted tuberculosis as a result of caring for a priest who had the disease. One year later, he also nursed a Salesian seminarian, Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá. Fortunately, Artémides recovered from his tuberculosis after seeking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
He made his first profession as a lay member of the Salesians of St. John Bosco in 1908 and his solemn profession in February of 1911.
Perhaps because of his own illness, or because of his caring for the sick, Artémides spent the rest of his life serving God by serving those who were sick. First, he did this as a pharmacist, and later he became a nurse. He even founded a hospital in 1913 that was eventually torn down in 1941.
But Artémides was also a writer, and he published a weekly publication called, “Flores del Campo” (Flowers of the Field).
Artémides was an incredible man who lived life to the maximum. His typical work schedule went from 4:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. Usually, he attended morning Mass and meditation and then rode his bicycle to visit the sick. He would often entertain the sick with a game of bocce in the afternoons. And, after he was done working in the pharmacy for the day, he would frequently read spiritual texts to patients. Then, he would spend his time studying, and this eventually led him to receive a diploma in nursing. In addition to all of this, Artémides found time to study Spanish and do his writing.
People loved Artémides, and he loved them. One physician said, “I believe in God since I know Mr. Zatti.”
On July 19, 1950, while climbing a roof to fix a water tank, Artémides fell off a ladder and was taken to the hospital. While in the hospital, he was diagnosed with liver cancer. He remained in the hospital until his death on March 15, 1951. On October 9, 2022, Pope Francis canonized Artémides in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City.
Saint Artémides Zatti’s feast day is March 15, and he is a patron saint of immigrants, nurses, and pharmacists.
