Saint Rita
Saint Rita of Cascia (born c. May 22, 1381 AD in Roccaporena, Umbria, Italy; died May 22, 1457 AD in Cascia, Umbria, Italy) was an Italian Augustinian nun venerated as the "Patron Saint of Impossible Causes." She was a widow who sought to enter the convent after her husband was murdered and her two sons died. She is known for the wound on her forehead from a thorn of Christ's crown that she received after meditating on the Crown of Thorns, and for extraordinary mystical experiences. She was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1900. Her feast day is May 22.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Rita
| Saint Rita | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | May 22 |
| Profession | Married woman; widow; Augustinian nun; mystic; stigmatist (thorn wound); patron of impossible causes |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Order of Saint Augustine (Augustinian nuns); Cascia; Umbria; 15th-century Italian mysticism; patron of impossible causes |
| Patronage | Impossible causes; desperate and hopeless situations; abused wives; widows; those in difficult marriages; infertility; illness; sickness; Italy; Cascia; Italian-Americans; the Augustinian Order |
| Attributes | Augustinian habit; thorn or wound on forehead; rose (January miracle); crucifix; bees (miraculous sign at her birth); incorrupt body; the Cascia mountain landscape |
| Birthplace | Roccaporena, Cascia, Umbria, Italy |
| Death Place | Cascia, Umbria, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died May 22, 1457, on her birth anniversary; she had been in declining health for years and spent much of her final period bedridden; she died at the convent of Santa Maria Maddalena in Cascia with the wound of the thorn still visible on her forehead; her body was found incorrupt after death |
| Primary Shrine | Basilica of Santa Rita, Cascia, Umbria — her incorrupt body in a glass reliquary; millions of pilgrims annually; rose petals blessed and distributed on May 22; one of Italy's most visited shrines |
| Liturgical Class | Memorial (Roman Rite); May 22 |
| Historic Class | Double (May 22) in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Rita was born c. May 22, 1381, in Roccaporena near Cascia, Umbria, Italy, to elderly parents who had long prayed for a child. She wished to enter religious life from childhood but accepted an arranged marriage.
She was married for approximately 18 years. Her husband was murdered in a family vendetta. She prayed that her two sons would die rather than pursue revenge and commit mortal sin; both died of illness within a year.
She then sought entry to the Augustinian convent of Santa Maria Maddalena at Cascia. She was refused three times as a widow rather than a virgin. She was reportedly transported miraculously inside the locked convent and was accepted.
She became famous for her mystical life and extreme penance. She asked to share in Christ's suffering with the Crown of Thorns; a thorn pierced her forehead, producing a wound that remained for 15 years until her death.
She died on May 22, 1457 — her birth anniversary. Her body was found incorrupt.
Pope Urban VIII beatified her in 1627. Pope Leo XIII canonized her in 1900.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Roccaporena, Cascia, Umbria, Italy
Death location: Cascia, Umbria, Italy
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Parishes
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| This map created from a Cargo query () |
Media
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
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No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Known shrines
- Basilica of Santa Rita, Cascia — her incorrupt body; millions of pilgrims annually; rose petals distributed May 22.
- Roccaporena — her birthplace; the Rock of Rita pilgrimage site.
Feast day
May 22
Veneration
Saint Rita of Cascia is the patron of impossible causes, venerated by millions worldwide. Her incorrupt body is displayed at the Basilica of Santa Rita in Cascia, one of Italy's most visited shrines. Blessed rose petals are distributed on her feast day. She was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1900. Her feast is May 22.
Prayers
Authored
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Intercessory
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