Saint Rita Of Cascia, Brief Biography, The Holy Roman Catholic Church

• Report rights infringement
• published: 12 Dec 2016
• views: 22

Saint Rita of Cascia (Born Margherita Lotti 1381 – May 22, 1457) was an Italian widow and Augustinian nun. She is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. Rita was married at an early age. The marriage lasted for eighteen years, during which she is remembered for her Christian values as a model wife and mother who made efforts to convert her husband from his abusive behavior. Upon the murder of her husband by another feuding family, she sought to dissuade her sons from revenge. She subsequently joined an Augustinian community of religious sisters, where she was known both for practicing mortification of the flesh[1] and for the efficacy of her prayers. Various miracles are attributed to her intercession, and she is often portrayed with a bleeding wound on her forehead, which is understood to indicate a partial stigmata. Pope Leo XIII canonized Rita on May 24, 1900. Her feast day is celebrated on May 22. At her canonization ceremony she was bestowed the title of Patroness of Impossible Causes, while in many Catholic countries, Rita came to be known to be as the patroness of abused wives and heartbroken women. The "Acta" or life story of Saint Rita was compiled by the Augustinian priest, Father Jacob Carelicci.[6] Rita was beatified by Pope Urban VIII in 1626.[7] The pope's private secretary, Cardinal Fausto Poli, had been born some fifteen kilometers (nine miles) from her birthplace and much of the impetus behind her cult is due to his enthusiasm. She was canonized on May 24, 1900[1] by Pope Leo XIII. Her feast day is May 22. On the 100th anniversary of her canonization in 2000, Pope John Paul II noted her remarkable qualities as a Christian woman: “Rita interpreted well the 'feminine genius' by living it intensely in both physical and spiritual motherhood.” She has acquired the reputation, together with St. Jude, as a saint of impossible cases. She is also the patron saint of sterility, abuse victims, loneliness, marriage difficulties, parenthood, widows, the sick, bodily ills, and wounds. Her body, which has remained incorrupt over the centuries, is venerated today in the shrine at Cascia, which bears her name.[5] Many people visit her tomb each year.[7] French painter Yves Klein had been dedicated to her as an infant. In 1961, he created a Shrine of St. Rita, which is placed in Cascia Convent. A large sanctuary of St. Rita was built in the early 20th century in Cascia. The sanctuary and the house where she was born are among the most active pilgrimage sites of Umbria. French singer Mireille Mathieu adopted St. Rita as her patron saint on the advice of her paternal grandmother. In her autobiography, Mathieu describes buying a candle for St. Rita using her last franc. Though Mathieu claims that her prayers did not always come true, she testifies that they inspired her to become a strong and determined woman. In 1943, Rita of Cascia, a film based on St. Rita's life, was made starring Elena Zareschi. The story of St. Rita increased in popularity due to a 2004 film "Santa Rita da Cascia", filmed in Florence, Italy.[11] The latter film altered the facts of St. Rita's early life. St. Rita is often credited as also being the unofficial patron saint of baseball due to a reference made to her in the 2002 film The Rookie. In the parish church of Laarne, near Ghent, Belgium, there is a statue of St. Rita in which several bees are featured. This depiction originates from the story of her baptism as an infant. On the day after her baptism, her family noticed a swarm of white bees flying around her as she slept in her crib. However, the bees peacefully entered and exited her mouth without causing her any harm or injury. Instead of being alarmed for her safety, her family was mystified by this sight. According to Butler, this was taken to indicate that the career of the child was to be marked by industry, virtue, and devotion. It is said that near the end of her life Rita was bedridden at the convent. While visiting her, a cousin asked if she desired anything from her old home. Rita responded by asking for a rose from the garden. It was January, and her cousin did not expect to find one due to the season. However, when her relative went to the house, a single blooming rose was found in the garden, and her cousin brought it back to Rita at the convent.[3] St. 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 the priest during Mass. When St. Rita was approximately sixty years of age, she was meditating before an image of Christ crucified. Suddenly, a small wound appeared on her forehead, as though a thorn from the crown that encircled Christ’s head had loosened itself and penetrated her own flesh. For the next fifteen years she bore this external sign of union with Christ. Saint Rita Of Cascia, Brief Biography, The Holy Roman Catholic Church