Feast Day: May 22
Patroness of: Impossible causes, abused wives, widows, and peacemakers
Born: c. 1381 in Roccaporena, near Cascia, Umbria, Italy
Died: May 22, 1457 in Cascia, Italy
Canonized: May 24, 1900 by Pope Leo XIII
Early Life
Saint Rita was born into a devout Christian family in the small village of Roccaporena, a few kilometers from Cascia in central Italy. Her parents, Antonio and Amata Lotti, were known for their piety and charity, and despite being advanced in age, they saw Rita’s birth as a miraculous gift. According to tradition, her birth was foretold by a mysterious vision of bees that surrounded her cradle without harming her—a sign of her future sanctity.
From a young age, Rita showed a strong inclination toward prayer and desired religious life. However, in obedience to her parents, she married at around age 12 to Paolo Mancini, a nobleman of rough temperament.
Married Life and Widowhood
Rita’s marriage was marked by suffering. Paolo was often harsh, quick-tempered, and involved in local political feuds common in Italy during the late Middle Ages. Through meekness, patience, and continual prayer, Rita eventually softened her husband’s heart. They had two sons, who were likely influenced by the prevailing culture of revenge and vendetta.
After nearly eighteen years of marriage, Paolo was murdered in a vendetta. Rita, now a widow, forgave his killers and sought to prevent her sons from seeking revenge. Despite her prayers and maternal instruction, tradition holds that her sons died young, likely from illness, before they could avenge their father. Rita viewed this as God’s merciful intervention, preserving their souls from mortal sin.
Religious Life
Now alone in the world, Rita sought to enter the Augustinian convent in Cascia. She was initially refused because of the violent feud that surrounded her husband’s murder. Tradition recounts that after fervent prayer and a miraculous vision involving Saints John the Baptist, Augustine, and Nicholas of Tolentino, she was admitted to the monastery through supernatural means—being found inside the locked convent despite the gates being closed.
For the next forty years, she lived a cloistered life of prayer, penance, and charity. Her obedience was heroic, and she embraced the austerity of the Rule with great fervor. She was known for her contemplation of Christ’s Passion and for meditating daily on the suffering of Our Lord.
The Stigmata of the Thorn
In 1441, during a meditation on the Passion, Rita begged to share in Christ’s suffering. Her prayer was answered when a thorn from the crown of Christ mystically pierced her forehead, leaving a deep wound. This stigmatic wound, foul-smelling and painful, lasted the remainder of her life, forcing her into isolation for periods of time. She bore it with patience and considered it a gift of union with the Crucified.
Death and Incorruption
As her health declined, Rita spent her last years in almost continual illness. On her deathbed, she asked for a rose from her family’s garden, though it was the middle of winter. Miraculously, a single blooming rose was found in the snow and brought to her—hence, roses and figs are traditionally associated with her.
She died on May 22, 1457, at the age of approximately 76. Her body, preserved incorrupt for many years, remains in the Basilica of Saint Rita in Cascia. Many miracles were reported at her tomb, and devotion to her spread quickly, particularly among the suffering and those in desperate circumstances.
Canonization and Legacy
Saint Rita was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1900, who called her the “Precious Pearl of Umbria.” She is beloved throughout the Catholic world, particularly in Italy, Spain, Latin America, and the Philippines. Her life exemplifies the power of redemptive suffering, peace-making, and the victory of divine grace over the most difficult human circumstances.
Spiritual Themes in Saint Rita’s Life
- Obedience in Suffering: She submitted to her parents in marriage, endured an abusive husband with patience, and transformed her suffering into a redemptive offering.
- Forgiveness and Peacemaking: She forgave her husband’s murderers and prevented further bloodshed by her sons.
- Mystical Union: Her reception of the stigmata shows her profound union with Christ in His Passion.
- Persistence in Vocation: Despite obstacles, she was called to religious life and was miraculously admitted.
Prayer to Saint Rita of Cascia
O glorious Saint Rita,
you who shared in the sorrowful Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
obtain for me the grace to bear my trials with patience and resignation.
Intercede for me that I may find peace in hardship,
healing in suffering, and hope in the impossible.
Through your powerful prayers,
may I too be a faithful follower of Christ,
until He calls me to Himself.
Amen.