St. not a wealthy family, but the happy

St.

Rita of Cascia was born in the year 1381 in the village of Roccaporena, in Cascia, Italy. Her real name is Margarita but she was to be called Rita throughout her life. St. Rita was an only child. Her parents were Antonio and Amata Lotti. Her father was a native of Roccaporena and her mother was from Fogliano, which was a little town about three miles from Cascia. They were not a wealthy family, but the happy couple worked very hard for their money and were content with their home.

Rita’s parents gladly contributed to the poor. One night while Amanta was praying, an angel appeared to her in a vision and told her that it was the will of God that he was to bless them with the gift of parenthood at such an old age because of all the good deeds they have performed throughout their life (Sicardo 6-7). From a young age Rita felt her connection to God, but unfortunately she was unable to grow in her faith. She dreamed of joining the Augustinian Nun community. At the age of twelve St. Rita was forced into marriage.

According to the custom of the day, young children were sent off to be married due to a promise that their parents had guaranteed. She married a man named Paolo Mancini. Adding to her disappointment, the man her parents arranged for her to marry was cruel and harsh, and she spent 18 years in a very difficult marriage.

Her husband eventually became physically abusive, yet she met his cruelty with kindness and patience. Two sons were born to her whom she loved deeply. After many years she eventually won her husband over to greater civility and kindness (Filz). Paolo served as a nightman for the town of Roccaporena in Cascia, Italy. One day as Paolo was returning home from work, he was ambushed and killed. The pain which this unexpected and violent death inflicted upon Rita was only compounded by the fear she felt that her two teenage sons, moved by the unwritten law of the “ vendetta,” would seek to avenge their father’s death.

Rita’s only recourse was prayer and persuasion. As it happened, the death of both boys from natural causes a short time later removed them from physical and spiritual danger. Despite her great burden, she could still thank God that they had died in peace, free of the poison of murder to which hatred and revenge might have otherwise drawn them (“ The Story of St. Rita of Cascia”).

Following the deaths of her sons, Rita attempted to enter the monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene in Cascia, but she was not allowed to join. Though Rita’s character and piety were recognized, her husband’s association with the family feud was greatly feared. When Rita persisted, the convent told her she could join if she could find a way to mend the wound between the Chiquis and Mancinis. After asking John the Baptist, Augustine of Hippo, and Nicholas of Tolentino to help her in her task, she attempted to end the feud. The bubonic plague had been spreading through Italy at that time, and when Bernardo Mancini became infected, he finally abolished the feud with the Chiqui family.

Once the conflict was resolved, Rita was allowed to enter the monastery at the age of thirty-six. It is said that she was transported into the monastery of Saint Magdalene through levitation at night by the three patron saints she appealed to. While at the monastery, Rita performed her duties faithfully and received the sacraments frequently. Rita had a great devotion to the Passion of Christ, and one day, when she was sixty-years-old, she asked, “ Please let me suffer like you, Divine Saviour” (“ St.

Rita”). After her request, a wound appeared on her forehead, as if a thorn from Christ’s crown had pierced her. It left a deep wound, which did not heal, and it caused her to suffer until the day she died (“ St. Rita”). Pope Nicholas V had proclaimed the year of our Lord 1450, Jubilee Year; and knowing that some of the nuns of her convent were preparing to make the journey to the Eternal City.

There they would gain the treasure of indulgences granted by the church on such solemn occasions.  Saint Rita also desired to go to Rome, for in her great humility she believed that she stood more in need of the graces of the Jubilee than her Sister nuns. With a heart full of holy desire, St. Rita went to the cell of superioress and prostrating herself and humbly asked her permission to go to Rome with the other nuns. The superioress, gazing at the ugly wound on St. Rita’s forehead, judged that she had sufficient reason to refuse Saint  Rita’s request for she believed that the very sight of the wound would be the cause of scandal to all who might see it, since the wound was on part of the forehead which cannot be covered or concealed.

Hence the superioress felt herself justified in withholding with her permission if the wound not heal. Upset by this response Rita kneeled before the feet of Christ and and prayed that her desire to go to Rome would come true. The humble request was pleasing to the Lord, and as it was his will that Saint Rita should make the pilgrimage to Rome, he healed her wound at once. When Rita and the other nuns arrived in Rome, they visited the station church and prayed with great devotion and attention to gain the indulgence of the Jubilee. Not one of the nuns felt happier than Saint Rita did and returning to their beloved home. As she stood on the steps of the convent before she entered, a singular joy-filled her heart, her pale face became flushed with heavenly gladness as she stepped across the threshold, and at that very moment the old wound of her forehead became visible and she began to suffer intense pains.

Saint Rita had to retire and live again in the solitude of her cell to avoid inconveniencing the other nuns with the sight of her wound. She continued her penitential exercises, prayers and meditations, until the time came where she left this vale of tears, having suffered a continuous martyrdom for fifteen years (Sicardo 114- 116; 119; 120). One of those who visited her some few months before her death — a relative from her hometown of Roccaporena — was privileged to witness firsthand the extraordinary things wrought by Rita’s requests. When asked whether she had any special desires, Rita asked only that a rose from the garden of her parents’ home be brought to her. It was a small favor to ask, but quite an impossible one to grant in the month of January! Nevertheless, on returning home the woman discovered, to her amazement, a single brightly-colored blossom on the bush where the nun said it would be.

Picking it, she returned immediately to the monastery and presented it to Rita, who gave thanks to God for this sign of love. Thus, the saint of the thorn became the saint of the rose, and she whose impossible requests were granted upon her. She became the advocate of all those whose own requests seem impossible as well (“ The Story of St. Rita of Cascia”). Having faithfully and lovingly responded to God’s many invitations to her in the course of her seventy-six years, Rita died on May 22, 1457.

St. Rita is the patroness of impossible causes, difficult marriages and parenthood. She was beatified by Pope Urban VII in 1657. She was canonized as an official saint by Pope Leo XIII on May 24th, 1900. She was buried at the Basilica of Cascia. Her feast day is celebrated on May 22nd (“ St.

Rita”). As Matthew stated in the Holy Bible, “..

. but for God, all things are possible” (Catholic Youth Bible, Matthew 19. 26). St.

Rita is the saint of impossible causes. From a young age she always believed in Jesus, our Savior; because of this she achieved many miracles in her life, which is truly amazing. I chose St.

Rita because of Mrs. Hunt. Everyday in class we pray to different saints for special causes. One day last year she mentioned St. Rita.

Later I looked her up because I was curious to know who she was. I found her story to be very interesting and inspiring. I admire many things about St.

Rita. She certainly had a rough life, but her heartbreaking circumstances brought her closer to God. No matter what happened to her she always kept her faith in Jesus.

Eventually, she gained the power to perform miracles. She was a very positive human being and always found the good in people. St.

Rita definitely inspires me to do great things.