As Catholics we celebrate our brothers and sisters who are holy and have extraordinary virtue. They are examples for us and they pray for us to help us on our journey of faith and support us as we grow in virtue. Each saint has a feast day. This week, we celebrate St. Rita of Cascia and St. Philip Neri. I’ve chosen St. Rita for this note.
 
St. Rita of Cascia
 
Monday, May 22 ^nd, is the Feast day of St. Rita of Cascia a beautiful saint of the 14 ^th Century. Even though she had consistently expressed her desire to enter the convent and become a nun, her parents made her marry a local nobleman at the age of twelve. Her husband was an ill-tempered man and she endured physical abuse, insults, and infidelities for many years of their marriage. Through her prayer and penance for him, his behavior changed and he became a much better man. On his way home from work, a member of a rival family with which his family was feuding stabbed him to death. They were married for fourteen years.
 
Her two sons died shortly after of dysentery before they could avenge their father’s death and commit the mortal sin of murder. She then facilitated peace between the two families through her prayer and through the intercession of Saints John the Baptist, Augustine of Hippo, and Nicholas of Tolentino. After establishing this peace and at the age of 36, she was allowed to enter the Augustinian Monastery of St. Mary Magdalene in Cascia.
 
She was known for her holiness and her piety. At the age of 76, when she was praying before a crucifix on Holy Saturday, she developed a wound on her head which was like the thorn wounds on the head of Jesus from the crowning of thorns. This wound remained open and visible on her forehead until her death fifteen years later. To this day, her body is incorruptible and can be seen at the Basilica of Saint Rita in Cascia, Italy.
 
She is the patroness of marital problems, spousal abuse, mothers, and lost and impossible causes. Perhaps we know people in these situations. Ask St. Rita to pray for them and help them in their difficulties.
 
St. Rita, pray for us.
 
~ Fr. Dan Firmin