While I have no further contributions for the exact dating of patronage, I
want to add to what's already been said that many of the patronages have
something to do with the saint's vita, although often in interesting or
amusing ways: St. Lucy as patroness for those suffering from eye diseases,
for example, because of the story of her having plucked out her own eyes to
give to an unwanted suitor who admired them. An interesting modern example
is St. Maximilian Kolbe, who among other patronages is the patron of those
recovering from drug addiction; St. Maximilian was killed in Auschwitz by
having carbolic acid injected into his veins.
People listening closely to the vitae of the saints see some connection to
their own condition in one of the scenes, and began invoking the saint
because of the similarity. The vitae themselves suggest the
"specialization". Of course, at best this gets us into the "how" and not
the "why" of specialized patronage.
Donald Uitvlugt
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Donald Jacob Uitvlugt
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"For Wales? Why, Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for
the whole world...But for Wales!"
-----Thomas More in _A Man for All Seasons_
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