sant rita

St. Rita of Cascia, Patron Saint of the Impossible

2010-05-22T11:39:00.001-07:00

St. Rita of Cascia, Patron Saint of the Impossible

May 22, 2010

Today (Saturday 22 May 2010) we remember the life and works of St. Rita of Cascia, Patron Saint of the Impossible.

St. Rita of Cascia was born in 1381 in the village of Roccaporena near Cascia in Italy. She was the only child of Antonio and Amata Lotti who were already advanced in age when Rita was born.

From an early age, Rita dreamed of being a nun. She frequented the convent of the Augustian nuns of Cascia. However, her parents had other dreams for her. They arranged her marriage to Paolo Mancini when she was only 12 years old. She bore two sons, a twin, named Giangiacomo Antonio and Paolo Maria. Rita taught his sons Catholic values but they chose to follow the immoral ways of their father. As a watchman of the town in Cascia, Mancini often found himself drawn into the conflict of two political factions, the Guelps and the Ghibellines. For 18 years, Rita had to put up with his abuse and infidelity.

Through Rita’s prayers, Mancini was converted. Unfortunately, as he worked on his reformation, he was ambushed and killed.

Her sons wanted to avenge their father’s death. Rita knew that vengeance was wrong but her persuasion came to no avail. So, she prayed to God to just take away the lives of her sons, rather than see them commit murder. Tradition says that God heard Rita’s voice because a year later, her sons died of natural causes, but only after they had received the last Sacraments.

With no more family responsibilities, Rita did what she had desired since her childhood – to join the Augustinian Nuns of St. Mary Magdalene Monastery. At first, her admission was denied because virginity was required for entry into the convent and some of the religious of the community belong to the political group responsible for her husband’s death. However, Rita was persistent. She implored the help of her three patron saints, John the Baptist, Augustine, and Nicholas of Tolentino, to assist her. She worked for the establishment of peace between the hostile parties of Cascia and succeeded. She soon was allowed to enter the monastery.

She was 36 years old.

Rita followed the ancient Rule of Saint Augustine. She devoted herself to prayer, works of charity, took pains to maintain peace and harmony among the citizens of Cascia.

She desired that more and more become intimately joined to the redemptive suffering of Jesus and her desire was satisfied in an extraordinary way. When she was about 60 years old, while she was meditating before the image of Jesus crucified, a small wound appeared on her forehead, like one made by a thorn from the crown that encircled Jesus’ head. She bore the pain in the next 15 years. In spite of the pain, she constantly experienced, she offered herself courageously for the physical and spiritual wellbeing of others.

A few months before her death, one of her visitors asked if she had any special requests, Rita asked that a rose from the garden of her parent’s home be brought to her. That was impossible to fulfill because roses do not bloom in January. But to the amazement of the person being requested, a single brightly colored blossom appeared on a rose bush just as the nun had said. It was brought to Rita who gave thanks to God for His sign of love.

Her last words before her death on May 22, 1457 were, “Remain in the holy love of Jesus. Remain in obedience to the holy Roman church. Remain in peace and fraternal charity.” Her body was placed in a glass case and was put on display at the Basilica of St. Rita in Cascia in Italy. She was beatified in 1627 by Pope Urban VIII and canonized on May 24, 1900, by Pope Leo XIII.

As we venerate St. Rita of Cascia on her feast day, let us be inspired by her example. Let us remain in constant communication with God through our prayers and be charitable at all times.

Si celebra Rita, la santa dei casi disperati

2010-05-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

Si celebra Rita, la santa dei casi disperati
Da Roma a Cascia feste e preghiere

Margherita, già moglie e madre, vissuta in Umbria dal 1381 al 1447, venne proclamata da Papa Leone XIII

ROMA - La chiamano la Santa degli «impossibili» , l’«Avvocata dei casi disperati». Perché la vita di Rita da Cascia è stata un susseguirsi di prodigi che hanno portato Margherita Lotti, questo il suo nome originario, ad essere proclamata Santa da Papa Leone XIII nel 1900. Per lei, infatti, durante la sua vita molto fu doloroso o difficile, ma nulla impossibile: compreso l’ingresso nel convento delle suore Agostiniane dopo aver trovato tre volte la porta sbarrata.

Celebrazioni per S.Rita nella basilica di Sant' Agostino a Roma (Ap)

LA LEGGENDA DEL VOLO - Una leggenda racconta come in piena notte fosse stata portata in volo dai suoi tre santi protettori – Sant’Agostino, San Giovanni Battista e San Nicola da Tolentino - dallo scoglio di Roccaporena, dove andava spesso a pregare, fin dentro le mura del monastero: solo allora la Badessa, capita la sua vera fede, l’accolse nel convento dove rimase per oltre 40 anni, dedicandosi alla preghiera. E per questo nel giorno della sua festa, il 22 maggio a mezzogiorno (che coincide con la data della sua scomparsa, il 22 maggio del 1447 a Cascia) , in molte chiese del mondo le si rivolge una «Supplica»: «A Voi che tutti chiamano la santa degli impossibili io ricorro nella fiducia di venir presto soccorso».

NEI LUOGHI NATII - Santa Rita nacque nel 1381 in un piccolo villaggio dell’Umbria, Roccaporena. Il primo evento straordinario fu quando, ancor piccolissima, in culla, uno sciame di api la circondò ma stranamente non la punse. Giovanissima, 13 anni, i suoi genitori ormai anziani la sposarono con Paolo Ferdinando Mancini, un uomo conosciuto per il suo carattere rissoso e brutale. Dal matrimonio nacquero due figli gemelli maschi: Giangiacomo e Paolo Maria. Ma la vita coniugale fu brutalmente spezzata dopo 18 anni con l’assassinio del marito in piena notte.
Rita chiese il perdono per gli assassini del marito e svolse una lunga opera di pacificazione con i suoi ragazzi che sentivano un dovere la vendetta per la morte del padre: pregò il Signore offrendo la vita dei figli pur di non veder le loro mani macchiate di sangue. Essi morirono un anno dopo il marito e fu allora che decise di seguire la sua prima vocazione ed entrare in convento.

La benedizione delle rose nella basilica di Santa Rita a Cascia (foto Ansa)

LA SPINA IN FRONTE - Tra gli avvenimenti prodigiosi della sua vita non va dimenticato quello che accadde il Venerdì santo del 1432: pregò intensamente di condividere la passione del Cristo. E secondo la tradizione una spina la colpì in piena fronte, rimanendovi fino alla sua morte, per 15 anni. A Roma la preghiera con la benedizione delle rose - che come vuole la tradizione vengono portate nella propria abitazione e fatte seccare per conservarle fino all’anno seguente - viene recitata nella chiesa a lei dedicata in via delle Vergini (di fronte al teatro Quirino) e nelle due grandi chiese Agostiniane di Santa Maria del Popolo e Sant’Agostino. Queste sono le principali per la devozione a Santa Rita, ma la supplica sarà recitata anche in altre le chiese della città, come in quella di Gesù e Maria a via del Corso.

A CASCIA CON LA GUIDA - Particolarmente belle le feste a Cascia, dove riposa nella grande basilica il corpo di Santa Rita, e dove si svolge una grande e lunga (proviene da Roccaporena) processione con le rose rosse, oltre che in molte altre città d’Italia o del mondo. «Santa Rita da Cascia – la vita e i luoghi» è l’ultimo volume uscito in ordine di tempo: scritto da Mario Polia e Massimo Chiappini (Edizioni San Paolo, 304 pagine, 18 euro) può costituire una guida per visitare in Umbria i piccoli paesi e le rocche che hanno contraddistinto la vita della Santa, che si è tutta svolta nella Valnerina (famosa per i tartufi neri, i salumi e le salsicce e la pesca delle trote), anche con l'ausilio di una mappa che ne ricostruisce gli itinerari artistico-religiosi.
Partendo da Roccaporena, suo luogo natale, a sei chilometri da Cascia e adesso collegata da una strada adeguata, val la pena di vedere il santuario a lei dedicato costruito negli anni Sessanta su progetto dell’architetto Oreste della Piana; qui si può visitare anche la cattedrale di San Montano, patrono del piccolo paese già ai tempi di Rita. In questa piccola chiesetta si celebrarono le sue nozze e qui sono sepolti i genitori, il marito e i suoi due figli.

LA ROCCIA E L'ORTO DEI MIRACOLI - Sempre a Roccaporena vi è la casa natale di santa Rita e poco lontano lungo la stessa strada l’abitazione di lei da sposata. Non vanno dimenticati la Roccia, dove secondo la tradizione la santa pregava intensamente e l’«Orto dei miracoli», annesso alla casa natale dove nel 1457 - in pieno inverno - sbocciò una rosa e maturò un frutto di fico, oggi entrambi simboli della santa.
A Cascia, oltre al santuario, degne di nota sono le due chiese di San Francesco e Sant’Agostino e il complesso di Santa Margherita. Vi sono anche due musei: quello di Sant’Antonio e di palazzo Santi. Tutta la Valnerina, però, è degna di nota: lungo il percorso si incontrano paesi come Scheggino, locande sul fiume e le famose cascate delle Marmore.

History of Saint Rita

2009-06-20T04:19:00.000-07:00

Margherita Lotti Mancini was born at Roccaporena near Cascia, Umbria. The name is the Italian version of the name "Margaret."

Rita was married at age 18 to Paolo Mancini. Her parents arranged her marriage, despite the fact that Rita repeatedly begged them to allow her to enter a convent. Paolo was a rich, quick-tempered, brutal, dissolute and uncontrolled man who made enemies in the region. Rita endured his insults, abuses and infidelities for eighteen years, and watched as her two sons grow up to be like their father.

Paolo was set upon and killed one night. He was violently stabbed many times. He is said to have repented to the Church and Rita toward the end of his life, and Rita forgave him for his transgressions against her. While Rita continued to care for her sons, it became clear as they grew up they were intent upon exacting revenge for the death of their father. Rita sought to persuade them otherwise, telling them such a killing would be murder. She also prayed they would not carry out their plans.

James and Paul died of natural causes within the year, begging forgiveness of their mother. With her husband and sons gone, Rita wanted to enter the monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene
at Cascia but was spurned for being a widow; virginity was a requirement for entry into that particular convent. She persisted several times, though, and was finally given a condition to enter: to reconcile her family with her husband's murderers. Rita worked hard to obtain this goal, and after both clans were reconciled when she was 36 years old, Rita was allowed to enter the monastery. It is also said that, while the sisters slept and despite locked doors, Rita was miraculously went into the convent by her patron saints John the Baptist, Augustine of Hippo and Nicholas of Tolentino.

When she was found in the morning and the sisters learned how she had gotten into the convent, they could not turn her away. While she was there, it is said that a thorn detached itself from Christ's crown of thorns and set itself in her forehead - hence the representation of a head wound in her appearance. She remained at the monastery, living by the Augustinian Rule, until her death in 1457.

She was beatified by Urban VIII in 1627, to whose private secretary Fausto Cardinal Poli, born less than ten miles from her birthplace, much of the impetus behind her cult is due; she was canonized on May 24, 1900 by Pope Leo XIII. Her feast day is May 22.

The symbol most often associated with Rita is the rose. One of the stories surrounding Rita and roses is that Rita would regularly bring food to the poor, which her husband prohibited her from doing. One day, her husband confronted her as she was leaving to bring bread to the poor.

The bread was concealed in Rita's robes; when she uncovered the bread as her husband demanded,the bread became roses and Rita was spared her husband's wrath. This story is also associated with St. Elisabeth of Hungary. At the end of her life, when Rita was bedridden in the convent, a friend from her home town visited her. The friend asked if there was anything Rita wanted from her old home.

Rita replied that she would like a rose from the garden. It was January, and although the friend did not expect to find anything in the garden, she went to the house and found one rose blooming. She brought the rose back to Rita at the convent. The rose is thought to represent God's love for Rita and Rita's ability to intercede on behalf of lost causes or impossible cases. Rita is often depicted holding roses or with roses nearby. On her feast day, churches and shrines of St. Rita provide roses to the congregation that are blessed by priests during mass.

In the parish church of Laarne, near Ghent, there is a statue of Saint Rita in which several bees feature. This seems to arise from the story that, on the day after her baptism, a swarm of white bees was seen around the baby as she was asleep in her crib. They peacefully went in and out of her mouth, not injuring her in any way. Her family seems to have been mystified rather than alarmed. Later, and in retrospect, the bees were seen as representing her subsequent beatification by Pope Urban VIII.

A large sanctuary of Saint Rita was built in the early 20th century in Cascia; it and the house in which she was born are among the most active pilgrimage sites of Umbria. Saint Rita, along with Saint Jude is a patron saint of "Lost Causes". Recently, Rita has been referred to as the patron saint of baseball. In the Walt Disney movie The Rookie, several references are made of St. Rita as the patron saint of "Lost Causes" - the chances of the main character playing Major League Baseball is considered a lost cause.

This has sparked a small movement in baseball circles where Rita of Cascia is considered the patron saint of the sport. Numerous religious medals have been printed with an image of St. Rita on one side and a baseball hitter on the other.

My Consoler

2009-06-10T14:57:00.000-07:00

Weighed down by sorrow I offer up my prayer to thee
dear Saint Rita, thou who art called the Saint of the Impossible,
confident in thy aid.

Free I beset it and restore lost peace to my troubled soul.
Thou who wast appointed by god to act and advocate
to those indespair, grant me the favour that I so fervently
ask of thee
(Here ask the favour you wish to obtain).
How is it possible that I alone should not enjoy the efficacy
of thy powerful patronage?

If my sins stand in the way of my prayer being heard,
intercede, I pray thee with God that I may be granted
redemption and forgiveness through sincere confession.

Do not let me shed further bitter tears,
dear Lord reward my great faith in thee,
and everywhere i shall praise thy mercies to those in distress.
Hallowed bride of the cross, who was bequeathed and weareth
on thy forehead one of its most painful thorns,
aid me to live and to die well.

Three Our father, Hail Mary and Glory.

Glorious Saint Rita thou who miraculously shared in the
painful passion of our Lord Jesus Christ,
obtain that I may bear the sorrows of this life with resignation
and protect me in all my needs.

(Those wishing to offer this as a NOVENA should repeat this for 9 days running)

Prayer to Saint Rita

2009-06-10T14:54:00.001-07:00

Saint Rita, come to my aid!
Faithful, loving wife and mother,
Humble, prayerful widow and nun,
Because of my need, answer my call.

Saint Rita, come to my aid!
Beautiful rose born
from the Savior's thorns,
Lead me far from anger and hate;
Guide my heart on peaceful paths with charity to all.

Saint Rita, come to my aid!
Helper, healer, holy friend
Hear my petition (make request).
To Christ take this prayer,
For He is my Lord, my God, my All,
My hope in despair,
My strength when afraid.
Saint Rita, come to my aid!
Saint Rita, answer my call. Amen.

Novena to Sant Rita

2009-06-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

O Holy Patroness of those in need, St. Rita, whose pleadings before thy Divine Lord are almost irresistible, who for thy lavishness in granting favors hast been called the Advocate of the Hopeless and even of the Impossible; St. Rita, so humble, so pure, so mortified, so patient and of such compassionate love for thy Crucified Jesus that thou couldst obtain from Him whatsoever thou askest, on account of which all confidently have recourse to thee, expecting, if not alwavs relief, at least comfort; be propitious to our petition, showing thy power with God on behalf of thy suppliant; be lavish to us, as thou hast been in so many wonderful cases, for the greater glory of God, for the spreading of thine own devotion, and for the consolation of those who trust in thee. We promise, if our petition is granted, to glorify, thee by making known thy favor, to bless and sing thy praises forever. Relying then upon thy merits and power before the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we pray: (here mention your request).
Obtain for us our request
By the singular merits of thy childhood,
Bv thy perfect union with the Divine Will,
By thy heroic sufferings during thy married life,
By the consolation thou didst experience at the conversion of thy husband,
By the sacrifice of thy children rather than see them grievously offend God,
By thy miraculous entrance into the convent,
By thy severe penances and thrice daily bloody scourgings,
By the suffering caused by the wound thou didst receive from the thorn of thy Crucified Savior,
By the divine love which consumed thy heart,
By that remarkable devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, on which alone thou didst exist for 4 years,
By the happiness with which thou didst part from thy trials to join thy Divine Spouse,
By the perfect example thou gavest to people of every state of life.
Pray for us, 0 holy St. Rita,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: O God, Who in Thine infinite tenderness hast vouchsafed to regard the prayer of Thy servant, Blessed Rita, and dost grant to her supplication that which is impossible to human foresight, skill and efforts, in reward of her compassionate love and firm reliance on Thy promise, have pity on our adversity and succor us in our calamities, that the unbeliever may know Thou art the recompense of the humble, the defense of the helpless, and the strength of those who trust in Thee, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Saint Rita of Cascia

2009-06-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

Daughter of Antonio and Amata Lotti, a couple known as the Peacemakers of Jesus; they had Rita late in life. From her early youth, Rita visited the Augustinian nuns at Cascia, Italy, and showed interest in a religious life.

However, when she was twelve, her parents betrothed her to Paolo Mancini, an ill-tempered, abusive individual who worked as town watchman, and who was dragged into the political disputes of the Guelphs and Ghibellines.

Disappointed but obedient, Rita married him when she was 18,
and was the mother of twin sons.

She put up with Paolo’s abuses for eighteen years before he was ambushed and stabbed to death. Her sons swore vengeance on the killers of their father, but through the prayers and interventions of Rita, they forgave the offenders.

Upon the deaths of her sons, Rita again felt the call to religious life.

However, some of the sisters at the Augustinian monastery were relatives of her husband’s murderers, and she was denied entry for fear of causing dissension.

Asking for the intervention of Saint John the Baptist, Saint Augustine of Hippo, and Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, she managed to bring the warring factions together, not completely, but sufficiently that there was peace, and she was admitted to the monastery of Saint Mary Magdalen at age 36.

Rita lived 40 years in the convent, spending her time in prayer and charity, and working for peace in the region.

She was devoted to the Passion, and in response to a prayer to suffer as Christ, she received a chronic head wound that appeared to have been caused by a crown of thorns, and which bled for 15 years.

Confined to her bed the last four years of her life, eating little more than the Eucharist, teaching and directing the younger sisters. Near the end she had a visitor from her home town who asked if she’d like anything;

Rita’s only request was a rose from her family’s estate. The visitor went to the home, but it being January, knew there was no hope of finding a flower; there, sprouted on an otherwise bare bush, was a single rose blossom.

Among the other areas, Rita is well-known as a patron of desperate, seemingly impossible causes and situations. This is because she has been involved in so many stages of life - wife, mother, widow, and nun, she buried her family, helped bring peace to her city, saw her dreams denied and fulfilled - and never lost her faith in God, or her desire to be with Him.

Born

* 1381 at Roccaparena, Umbria, Italy

Died

* 22 May 1457 at the Augustinian convent at Cascia, Italy of tuberculosis

Beatified

* 1 October 1627 by Pope Urban VIII

Canonized

* 24 May 1900 by Pope Leo XIII

Patronage

* abuse victims
* against infertility
* against loneliness
* against sickness
* against sterility
* against wounds
* bodily ills
* Cascia, Italy
* Dalayap, Philippines
* desperate causes
* difficult marriages
* forgotten causes
* Igbaras, Iloilo, Philippines
* impossible causes
* lost causes
* parenthood
* sick people
* sterile people
* victims of physical spouse abuse
* widows
* wounded people

Representation

* nun holding a crown of thorns
* nun holding roses
* nun holding roses and figs
* nun with a wound on her forehead

Also known as

* Margarita of Cascia
* Rita La Abogada de Imposibles
* Saint of the Impossible

sant rita

St. Rita of Cascia, Patron Saint of the Impossible

St. Rita of Cascia, Patron Saint of the Impossible

Si celebra Rita, la santa dei casi disperati

Si celebra Rita, la santa dei casi disperatiDa Roma a Cascia feste e preghiere

Margherita, già moglie e madre, vissuta in Umbria dal 1381 al 1447, venne proclamata da Papa Leone XIII

History of Saint Rita

My Consoler

Prayer to Saint Rita

Novena to Sant Rita

Saint Rita of Cascia

Si celebra Rita, la santa dei casi disperati
Da Roma a Cascia feste e preghiere