Saint Rita
of Cascia:
Saint of the Impossible
With Imprimatur, Nihil
Obstat
and Cum Permissu, 1916
DISCLAIMER-------CONTENTS------EXTERNAL LINKS
Please note, the external links below provide the web sites for the
actual shrine; Catholic Tradition is an informational site only; we are
not the shrine or any shrine.
Please do not contact us about
shrine
information, tours, etc.
INTRODUCTION----------------------UMBRIA,
CASCIA AND ITS GREATNESS
BIRTH
OF ST. RITA----------------------MYSTERIOUS
BEES
EARLY
YEARS----------------------DESIRE
FOR CONSECRATION AS A VIRGIN
CONSENT
TO MARRIAGE IN OBEDIENCE---------------------- THE
DEATH OF HER HUSBAND AND SONS
MIRACULOUS
ENTRANCE INTO THE CONVENT----------------HOW SHE
OBSERVED THE VOW OF OBEDIENCE
THE
POVERTY SHE PRACTICED-------------------THE
VOW OF CHASTITY AND THE LENGTHS TO MAINTAIN IT
THE
WOUNDING THORN----------------------EFFICACY
OF HER PRAYERS
THE
ROSE LEGEND AND WHY ROSES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HER
HER
DEATH AND MIRACLES----------------THE
PRIVILEGES WHICH THE BODY AND RELICS OF ST. RITA ENJOY
THE
MYSTERIOUS BEES AGAIN ----------------------CANONIZATION
PRAYER OF THE
ROSES ---------------PRAYERS WITH
NOVENA TO ST. RITA---------------LITANY OF
ST. RITA
HYMN FOR ST. RITA----------------------BONUS IMAGES
EXTERNAL LINKS FOR THE SHRINE, SACRAMENTALS, ETC.
After requests about Our Lady, the second largest interest has been about St. Rita, especially so in the past three months [the summer of 2002]. Every letter except one had a specific request concerning the Saint. The exception was from a woman who wanted as much information as possible. This was the impetus to make room for a comprehensive directory for St. Rita.
Saint Rita [1381-1457] has been one of the most popular Saints in the Church for centuries. She is known as the "Saint of the Impossible" because of her amazing answers to prayers, as well as the remarkable events of her own life.
Saint Rita wanted to become a nun, but in obedience to her elderly parents, she married. Her husband was the source of much suffering as he was cruel to her, but she repaid his perfidy with prayer and kind attention to him: he was converted in time, becoming most considerate of others and God-fearing. Alas, he was murdered.
Rita discovered that her two sons were thinking of avenging their father's murder and she feared that they would actually undertake such an action. With heroic love for their souls, she begged God to take them rather an permit them to commit this mortal sin. Not long afterward, they both died, after preparing themselves to face God.
Left alone without her family, St. Rita devoted herself to prayer, penance, and works of charity. After a time she applied for admittance to the Augustinian Convent in Cascia. She was refused, but after praying to her three special patron Saints-----St. John the Baptist, St. Augustine, and St. Nicholas of Tolentino-----she miraculously entered the convent and was allowed to remain, about the year 1411.In the convent, Sr. Rita's life was marked by great charity and severe penances. Her prayers for others obtained remarkable cures, deliverance from the devil and other special favors from God. So that she might share in the pain of His Crown of Thorns, Our Lord gave her a thorn wound in her forehead. It was exceedingly painful and emitted a disagreeable odor, yet she considered it a very great grace. She prayed: "O loving Jesus, increase my patience according as my sufferings increase." The wound lasted the rest of her life.
She died on May 22 [Her Feast Day], 1457 at the age of 76. People flocked to the convent to pay their respects. Innumerable miracles took place through her intercession and devotion spread far and wide. Her body was preserved incorrupt for several centuries, at times giving off a sweet fragrance. Much of her body is still incorrupt, including her forehead where one can see the wound. Today it is in a sealed glass coffin in a church of St. Augustine in Cascia, Italy, where pilgrims come to pray and ask for a miracle.
There are many legendary aspects to St. Rita's life, all so extraordinary that it is almost impossible to decide which to present and which to omit. What you have just read is a very abridged biography. The best book on St. Rita is ST. RITA OF CASCIA: Saint of the Impossible, by Fr. Joseph Sicardo. It is available for purchase at two web sites. Just click on St. Rita's External Links to find those.
Meanwhile here are some highlights from the
book,
although not every chapter, as we hope you will buy the book which is a
Catholic classic and very charming for all reading members of the
family.
We also have various devotions and or prayers to St. Rita. The back
button on
each following page brings you back to this directory.
STAINED GLASS IMAGE
HOLY CARD IMAGE
COMPOSITE IMAGE: SCENIC
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