St. Rita

Childhood

Formally named Margherita Lotti, she was born in Roccaporena, Italy inthe year 1381. Rita was baptized as an infant and surprisingly on thefollowing day after she was baptized, a swarm of white bees surroundedher, buzzing in and out of her mouth without hurting her. This wasconsidered a symbolic act that meant Rita was filled with virtue.

Marriage

She got married to Paolo Mancini at a very young age at a plannedwedding by her parents. She graduated to being a mother at the age oftwelve. Her marriage was arranged after she pleaded with her parents toallow her to join the convent.

Rita suffered in her marriage to Paolo since he mistreated her and actedviolently toward her. He was also a dissatisfied man who still pursuedother women even after marrying Rita. He was a man hated by many.

She had a positive impact on her husband and even helped him settleissues between him and several enemies he kept. Unfortunately, Paolowasn’t able to reconcile with each of his enemies and one of his alliesbetrayed and killed him.

Rita was widowed and she publicly pardoned her husband’s murderer’s buther two sons were focused on avenging their father’s death. Seeing hersons’ rage, Rita prayed to God to take his sons earlier before theylost their souls to sinful acts. She was truly virtuous.

Monastery Saint

She requested to join the Augustinian order located in Cascia, but shewas not allowed to. She persisted and was given a condition to fulfillfor her request to be granted. The condition was for her to find a wayto solve the issues between the Mancinis and the Chiquis.

She asked for help from her patron saints: Augustine of Hippo, Nicholasof Tolentino, and John the Baptist as she tried to settle the issues.Luckily, Bernardo Mancini finally denounced the enemity between theMancinis and the Chiquis, and the two families signed a peace agreement.Rita was finally able to join the Saint Mary Magdalene Monastery.

In respect to her achievement for reconciling the Chiquis and theMancinis, a painting was mounted on the wall of the Saint Francis Churchin Cascia. The painting was a symbol of the embrace shared by theMancinis and the Chiquis, out of pleas by Rita.

Once in the monastery, aged thirty-six, she respectfully performed herduties and received her sacraments filled with faith. She lived aregular Christian life, often praying to God and living an exemplarylife. She lived for forty more years depicting the best lifestyleaccording to the rule of Saint Augustine

Miracles and Death

She once prayed to God and requested to suffer as Christ had sufferedand to relieve Christ’s burden. Afterward, a wound appeared on herforehead. It was so deep that it couldn’t heal. Due to the strange deepwound, Rita’s health deteriorated and she constantly grew weak each day.

Some months before her death, one of her relatives paid her a visit. Onseeing her physical state, the relative asked Rita for a wish sheexpected to be fulfilled before her death. Although she was reluctant atfirst, she finally asked for a rose from her family farm back inRoccaporena.

As strange as it may sound, it was during the winter season but uponpassing Rita’s family farm, the relative saw a single rose in the farmfilled with snow. She plucked it out and immediately returned to themonastery where Rita laid sick and handed her the rose.

The rose was a product of Rita’s answered prayers for her dead husbandand sons, and Rita believed that she would reunite with them after herdeath. She died in peace on the 22nd of May, 1457.

Now she is observed as the Patron Saint of lost and impossible causes,sickness, wounds, marital problems, abuse, mothers.

5 Interesting Facts About St. Rita

1. Upon her request, a rose miraculously grew on Rita’s family farm
   during the winter season.
2. After her baptism, a swarm of bees surrounded Rita and flew in and
   out of her mouth and caused her no harm.
3. She prayed to God to take away her sons before they lost their souls
   in their attempts to avenge their father’s death.
4. When Rita died, the bells of the convent mysteriously rung without
   aid from human hands.
5. She was a mother of twins and was widowed at 24

Prayer to St. Rita

Dear St. Rita,during your entire life on earth,you found your happiness by following the will of our heavenly Father.Help me to be as trusting of God in all His plans for me.Help me this day to give myself to Him as you did,without limit, without fear, without counting the cost.Help me to be generous in serving the needs of others,patient in all difficulties,forgiving toward all who injure me.Help me to learn more deeply the great mystery of the Cross of Jesus,so that by embracing it as you did,I may come to experience its power to heal and to save. Amen.