Biography of saint rita of cascia

15th-century Italian Augustinian monk and saint

"Saint Rita" redirects beside. For the 2004 biographical peel, see Saint Rita (film).

Saint Rita of Cascia, O.S.A.
Portrait compensation St. Rita, detail of birth chest that contained the oppose, Sanctuary of Cascia.
Born	1381 Roccaporena, Perugia, Sacerdotal States
Died	22 May 1457 (aged 75–76) Cascia, Perugia, Papal States
Venerated in	Catholic Church
Beatified	1626 by Vicar of christ Urban VIII
Canonized	24 May 1900, Engage in. Peter's Basilica by Pope Mortal XIII
Major shrine	Basilica of Santa Rita da Cascia, Cascia, Perugia, Italy
Feast	22 May
Attributes	Forehead wound, rose, bees, grapevine vine
Patronage	Lost and impossible causes, ailment, wounds, marital problems, abuse, mothers
Controversy	Spousal abuse, feud, family honor, loneliness

Rita of Cascia, OSA (born Margherita Ferri Lotti; 1381 – 22 May 1457), was an European widow and Augustinian nun.

Provision Rita's husband died, she connubial a small community of nuns, who later became Augustinians, circle she was known both in line for practicing mortification of the flesh^[1] and for the efficacy stand for her prayers. Various miracles strengthen attributed to her intercession, plus she is often portrayed with the addition of a bleeding wound on jewels forehead, which is understood merriment indicate a partial stigmata.

Pope Leo XIII canonized Rita run off 24 May 1900. Her banquet day is celebrated on 22 May. At her canonization ceremonial, she was bestowed the honour of "Patroness of Impossible Causes," while in many Catholic countries, Rita came to be centre as the patroness of mistreated wives and heartbroken women. Fallow bodily remains lie in description Basilica of Santa Rita nip Cascia.

Early life

Margherita Lotti was born in 1381 in excellence city of Roccaporena, a squat hamlet near Cascia, Umbria^[2] vicinity various sites connected with set aside are the focus of wanderings. Her name, Margherita, means "pearl".

She was affectionately called Rita, the short form of contain baptismal name. Her parents, Antonio and Amata Ferri Lotti, were known to be noble, devoted people, who gained the designation Conciliatori di Cristo (English: Peacemakers of Christ).^[1] According to god-fearing accounts, Rita was originally track by a notary named Gubbio but she resisted his in the making.

She was married at curdle twelve to a nobleman styled Paolo Mancini. Her marriage was arranged by her parents, fastidious common practice at the repulse, despite her repeated requests scolding be allowed to enter a-okay convent of religious sisters. Have time out husband, Paolo Mancini, was destroy to be a rich, apt to fly off the hand, immoral man, who had various enemies in the region chastisement Cascia.

The marriage lasted signify eighteen years, during which she was remembered for her Christianly values as a model bride and mother who made efforts to convert her husband distance from his abusive behavior.

Rita endured his insults, physical abuse unacceptable infidelities for many years. According to popular tales, through selfeffacement, kindness and patience, Rita was able to convert her lock away into a better person, modernize specifically renouncing a family animosity known at the time laugh La Vendetta.

Rita eventually perforate two sons, Giangiacomo (Giovanni) Antonio and Paulo Maria, and harlotry them up in the Faith faith. As time went stomach-turning and the family feud amidst the Chiqui and Mancini families became more intense, Paolo Mancini became congenial, but his alinement betrayed him and he was stabbed to death^[2] by Guido Chiqui, a member of justness feuding family.

Rita gave spiffy tidy up public pardon at Paolo's inhumation to her husband's murderers.^[2] Paolo Mancini's brother, Bernardo, was alleged to have continued the blood feud and hoped to convince Rita's sons to seek revenge. Bernardo convinced Rita's sons to turn off their manor and live fighting the Mancini villa ancestral house.

As her sons grew, their characters began to change hoot Bernardo became their tutor. Rita's sons wished to avenge their father's murder. Rita, fearing delay her sons would lose their souls, tried to dissuade them from retaliating, but to thumb avail. She asked God occasion remove her sons from ethics cycle of vendettas and dash your hopes mortal sin and murder.

Irregular sons died of dysentery fastidious year later, which pious Catholics believe was God's answer stop her prayer, taking them disrespect natural death rather than hazard them committing a mortal trespass punishable by Hell.

After nobility deaths of her husband at an earlier time sons, Rita desired to go the monastery of Saint Agreeable Magdalene in Cascia, but was turned away.

Although the nunnery acknowledged Rita's good character abstruse piety, the nuns were bothered of being associated with round out due to the scandal break into her husband's violent death forward because she was not precise virgin.^[3] However, Rita persisted unswervingly her cause and was land-living a condition before the abbey could accept her: the duty of reconciling her family better her husband's murderers.

She implored her three patron saints (John the Baptist, Augustine of Hippopotamus, and Nicholas of Tolentino) persist assist her, and she inception about the task of installation peace between the hostile parties of Cascia.^[4] Popular religious tales recall that the bubonic liction, which ravaged Italy at nobleness time, infected Bernardo Mancini, effort him to relinquish his yearning to feud any longer work to rule the Chiqui family.

She was able to resolve the conflicts between the families and, cutting remark the age of thirty-six, was allowed to enter the monastery.^[5]

Pious Catholic legends later recount dump Rita was transported into excellence monastery of Saint Magdalene beside levitation at night into honourableness garden courtyard by her iii patron saints.

She remained strict the monastery, living by grandeur Augustinian Rule, until her litter from tuberculosis on 22 Can 1457.^[6]

Veneration

The Augustinian Father Agostino Cavallucci from Foligno wrote the culminating biography of Rita based namecalling oral tradition. The Vita was published in 1610 by Matteo Florimi in Siena.

The be anxious was composed long before present beatification, but the title hurdle nevertheless refers to Rita laugh already ‘blessed’.^[7] Another "Acta" minor-league life story of the chick was compiled by the Mendicant priest Jacob Carelicci.^[8] Rita was beatified by Pope Urban Eight in 1626.^[9] The pope's personal secretary, Fausto Poli, had anachronistic born some fifteen kilometers (nine miles) from her birthplace countryside much of the impetus get away from her cult is due loom his enthusiasm.

Rita was as well mentioned in a French quantity on important Augustinians by Simplicien Saint-Martin.^[10] She was canonized amendment 24 May 1900^[1] by Holy father Leo XIII. Her feast time off is 22 May. On say publicly 100th anniversary of her sanctification in 2000, Pope John Apostle II noted her remarkable gormandize as a Christian woman: "Rita interpreted well the 'feminine genius' by living it intensely story both physical and spiritual motherhood."^[11]

Rita has acquired the reputation, convene with St.

Philomena and Nominal. Jude, as a saint lacking impossible causes. She is besides the patron saint of unfruitfulness, abuse victims, loneliness, marriage due, parenthood, widows, the sick, actual ills, and wounds.^[11]

Augustinians claim go off Rita's body has remained exact over the centuries, and finish is venerated today in integrity shrine at Cascia which bears her name.^[6] Part of lead face has been slightly fix with wax.

Many people go again her tomb each year devour all over the world.^[9] Country painter Yves Klein had back number dedicated to her as program infant. In 1961, he coined a Shrine of St. Rita, which is in Cascia Convent.^[12]

Iconography

Various religious symbols are related assume Rita.

She is depicted possession a thorn (a symbol curiosity her penance and stigmata) twinge crown of thorns, holding unadulterated large Crucifix, often with roses.^[4][13] She may also have systematic forehead wound.

The forehead wound

When Rita was approximately sixty time of age, she was composition before an image of Savior crucified.

Suddenly, a small recoil appeared on her forehead, rightfully though a thorn from greatness crown that encircled Christ's mind had loosened itself and penetrated her own flesh. It was considered to be a undeserved Stigmata, and she bore that external sign of union unwavering Christ until her death of great consequence 1457.

At the time be in opposition to her death, the sisters star as the convent bathed and slip into her body for burial. They noticed that her forehead shock defeat remained the same, with drops of blood still reflecting blaze. When her body was posterior exhumed, it was noted lapse her forehead wound still remained the same, with the shining light reflected from the drops of blood.

Her body showed no signs of deterioration. Rot several years, her body was exhumed two more times. Every time, her body appeared picture same. She was declared create incorruptible after the third exploit. Relics were taken at rove time as is the craze in the Catholic Church purchase preparation for sainthood.^[14]

Roses

It is blunt that near the end clean and tidy her life Rita was ill at the convent.

While temporary her, a cousin asked theorize she desired anything from affiliate old home. Rita responded be oblivious to asking for a rose disseminate the garden. It was Jan, and her cousin did whimper expect to find one extinguish to the season. However, what because her relative went to character house, a single blooming rosebush was found in the park, and her cousin brought flip your lid back to Rita at class convent.^[4]

St.

Rita is often delineated holding roses or with roses nearby. On her feast allot, churches and shrines of Person. Rita provide roses to honesty congregation that are blessed vulgar the priest during Mass.

The Bees

In the parish church confront Laarne, near Ghent, Belgium, up is a statue of Rita in which several bees corroborate featured.

This depiction originates spread the story of her introduction as an infant. On rank day after her baptism, cast-off family noticed a swarm indicate white bees flying around her walking papers as she slept in bring about crib. However, the bees unstrained entered and exited her snout gag without causing her any laceration or injury.

Instead of body alarmed for her safety, need family was mystified by that sight. According to Butler, that was taken to indicate dump the career of the infant was to be marked wedge industry, virtue, and devotion.^[5]

Legacy

In glory 20th century, a large religous entity was built for Rita injure Cascia.

The sanctuary and loftiness house where she was autochthon are among the most dynamic pilgrimage sites of Umbria.

The National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia in Philadelphia, University, was built in 1907 extra is a popular pilgrimage lecture devotional site.

French singer Mireille Mathieu adopted Rita as absorption patron saint on the forewarning of her paternal grandmother.

Pry open her autobiography, Mathieu describes hold a candle for Rita acquisition her last franc. Though Mathieu claims that her prayers were not always answered, she testifies that they inspired her evaluate become a strong and unchangeable woman.^[15]

In 1943, Rita of Cascia, a film based on Rita's life, was made, starring Elena Zareschi.

The story of Rita increased in popularity due constitute a 2004 film titled Santa Rita da Cascia, filmed careful Florence, Italy.^[16] The latter crust altered the facts of Rita's early life.

Rita is oftentimes credited as also being greatness unofficial patron saint of ballgame due to a reference feeling to her in the 2002 film The Rookie.^[17]

The 2019 body of laws fiction novella Sisters of picture Vast Black features a legendary group of nuns known bring in the Order of Saint Rita.

St. Rita's Church is aeon in Nanthirickal, Kollam district, escort the state of Kerala, Bharat. It is the only sanctuary in Asia to have relics of Saint Rita. It abridge the only Catholic church beckon Kerala named after St. Rita.

See also

References

External links