Kate Burke

Mr. Campbell

Religion 10

12-15-17

Saint Rita was born in Roccaporena, Italy near Spalto in 1381. Rita was born with the

name, Margherita Lotto. She was born to Antonio and Amata Lotti. They were older when they

were gifted with her, so she was a miracle from the start. The day following Rita’s baptism, she

was surrounded by a swarm of white bees. They flew around her, in and out of her mouth,

without hurting her. Many people took this to believe that Rita should have been devoted to

God. Rita had wanted to devote her life to God at an early life and become a nun. She visited the

Augustinian nuns in Cascia, Italy and showed her interest in religious life. Rita’s parents were

elderly and at the age of twelve, arranged for her to be married. Rita was married to Paolo

Mancini. Paolo was a cruel and abusive man, he would physically and verbally harm Rita while

pursuing other women and constantly getting into fights. Rita was trying to change her husband

into a better man. His family had always been feuding between other influential families. She

had convinced him to end the feud between the Mancini’s and the Chiquis. While improving the

situation, the feud between the Mancini’s and the Cascia’s only worsened. Rita was pregnant

with their twin boys and gave birth to Giovanni Antonio and Paulo Maria. After being married

for eighteen unhappy years, Rita’s husband had been killed by an enemy. Rita gave her

husband’s killer public pardon and forgiveness. Her brother-in-law, however, was not as

forgiving. Her brother-in-law sought revenge and was trying to get his nephews to join him in

fighting against the enemies that killed their father. He continued to push the boys to join the
family feud while Rita begged then not to. The boys joined the feud and became angry toward

their fathers murderer and joined the feud. Rita prayed and asked God to take her sons before

they could be taken by the devil. She begged God to take her sons before they had commited

such a sin as murdered. Rita wanted her boys to have a clear conscience when they died. Rita’s

prayers were answered when soon after, her sons fell ill and died of dysentery. At this point in

her life, alone and grieving, Rita was again eager to enter a convent. She tried entering the

monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene in Cascia, but was rejected. It was not considered normal

for a woman previously married to enter a convent. She wasn’t allowed in primarily because

nuns were generally required to be virgins upon entering consecrated life. Another reason she

was not permitted in was because the nuns were afraid of her affiliation to the great family feuds.

She was told that if she could mend the relationship between the Mancini’s and the Chiqui’s,

they would grant her entry. She asked for the assistance of John the Baptist, Augustine of Hippo,

and Nicholas of Tolentino to help her end the fighting between these families. Luckily enough

for Rita, the Bubonic plague hit Italy hard and attacked Bernardo Mancini. When he fell ill he

wanted to die on good terms and called off the feud with the Chiqui family. Rita was finally

given entry in 1413, she was 36. Throughout her life, Rita had suffered from chronic illness.

She had a great devotion to passion of Christ and asked “Please let me suffer like you, divine

Saviour.” Per her request, a wound appeared on her forehead along with marks that looked like a

crown of thorns had pierced her head, this caused her to suffer until the day she died. Rita grew

ill with Tuberculosis and was confined to a bed the final years of her life. A friend of her

hometown came to visit her and Rita asked for a rose from her garden in her childhood home. It

was January, and the friend was not planning on finding anything or being able to cooperate with

Rita’s final wishes. She went to the family estate and on the barren rose bush, found a single
rose flower. Rita died May 22 at Cascia from Tuberculosis. She was canonized in 1990 and is

honored in Spain as La Santa de Los Impossibles

Saint Rita, so pure and patient, be kind to me and I promise to

honor your rose.
Oh Saint Rita who followed the Passion of Jesus, help us to
bear our own thorns, and protect us in our needs. Amen
 Works Cited
Online, Catholic. “St. Rita - Saints & Angels.” Catholic Online, Catholic Online,
www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=205.
Online, Catholic. “St. Rita of Cascia - Saints & Angels.” Catholic Online, Catholic Online,
www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=4610.
“The Story of St. Rita of Cascia.” Saint Rita Catholic Church, 2017, st-rita.org/the-story-of-st-rita-of-
casc
“Saint Rita of Cascia“. CatholicSaints.Info. 13 November 2017. Web. 15 December 2017.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-rita-of-cascia/>