Saint Rita of Cascia

Saint Rita of Cascia, also known as Margherita Lotti, is an Italian saint who lived in the 14th and 15th centuries. She is known as a patron saint of impossible causes, abused wives, and troubled marriages. Her life was marked by devotion, faith, and miracles that inspired people for centuries.

Early Life and Marriage

Rita was born in Roccaporena, a small town in Umbria, Italy, around 1381. She was a pious and obedient child who showed an interest in religion at an early age. However, her parents arranged her marriage to Paolo Mancini, a wealthy man from Cascia, when she was 12 years old. Despite the age difference and the mismatched personalities, Rita accepted the marriage as God’s will and tried to be a dutiful wife.

Paolo was a violent and immoral man who abused Rita physically and emotionally. He was involved in a feud with a rival family and often relied on force to settle disputes. Rita suffered in silence and prayed for his conversion and their reconciliation. She also tried to be a loving mother to their two sons, Giovanni and Paolo.

After 18 years of marriage, Paolo was assassinated by his enemies. His death left Rita and her sons vulnerable to retaliation from both sides of the feud. She pleaded with her sons to forgive their father’s murderers and to seek peace with their enemies. Her words had a profound effect on them, and they followed her advice.

Religious Life and Miracles

After her husband’s death, Rita faced a difficult choice. She wanted to become a nun and dedicate her life to God, but her sons insisted that she stay with them and avoid any conflict with the rival families. Rita prayed for guidance and received a vision of three roses, representing her virtues of charity, obedience, and patience. She took it as a sign that God was calling her to a higher purpose.

Rita joined the Augustinian nuns at the convent of Cascia, despite the initial resistance of the sisters who feared her association with the feud. Rita’s devotion and humility soon won them over, and she was admired for her piety and her gift of healing. She received the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, on her forehead, symbolizing her compassion for his suffering.

Rita’s fame as a miracle worker and a counselor grew, and people came from far and wide to seek her help. She performed many miraculous healings, such as curing a boy from epilepsy, a woman from a tumor, and a man from a broken leg. She also reconciled families, settled disputes, and converted sinners.

Rita’s death and legacy

Rita lived to be 76 years old and died on May 22, 1457. Her body was incorruptible, meaning that it did not decay, and it emitted a sweet fragrance that was believed to be a sign of her sanctity. Her tomb became a place of pilgrimage, and many people reported graces and favors received through her intercession.

Rita was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1900 and is venerated as a model of humility, forgiveness, and holiness. Her life story and her miracles inspired many artists, writers, and filmmakers, such as Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Petrarch, and Franco Zeffirelli.

In conclusion, Saint Rita of Cascia was a remarkable woman who lived a life of devotion and miracles in a time of conflict and turmoil. Her faith and perseverance in the face of adversity, her love and compassion for others, and her connection to God through prayer and suffering make her a shining example of Catholicism. Her legacy lives on through her shrine and her devotees, who seek her guidance and her intercession in their own struggles and needs. Saint Rita, pray for us!