St. Rita of Cascia

St. Rita was born in Cascia, Italy, in 1386 to Antonio and Amata Lotti. In her early years, Rita showed interest in religious life, but her parents did not approve. When she was eighteen, Rita married Paolo Marcini in obedience to her parents. She bore her abusive husband twin sons and lived with him until he was murdered eighteen years later in an ambush.

Her sons, wanting to avenge their father, swore to kill his murderers. However, Rita pleaded to God to keep her sons from dying with mortal sins on their souls and He granted her request by taking her sons from her before they went through with their murderous plans. Left without her husband and children, Rita once again felt called to the religious life. After some years of difficulty, she was finally admitted into St. Mary Magdalene convent at the age of 36. Rita lived in the convent for 40 years, 15 of which she spent bearing the pain Christ experienced when he was crowned with thorns. After a long and painful struggle with tuberculosis, Rita finally died on May 22, 1457. She is most remembered for being the patron saint of impossible cases because of the many, seemingly impossible, difficulties she bore in her life.

In honor of St. Rita of Cascia, men and women from both St. Peter’s Cathedral and St. Michael's Church participated in a nine-day novena to the saint before her feast day. On May 22nd, they attended Mass and completed the novena in remembrance of this amazing saint who never stopped loving and trusting in God.

O God, through the prayers of St. Rita, may we learn to bear our crosses in life
in the same spirit in which she bore hers. Amen.

St. Rita, Our Patron Saint of the Impossible, Pray for us.