Saint Rita of Cascia

Rita of Cascia, also known as Margherita Mancini, was born between 1360 and 1381 in Roccaporena. She was an Italian Augustinian nun and stigmatic whose life was filled with suffering, love, and the pursuit of holiness. In her youth, she was a joyful child, but at the age of 14, she was married to Paolo Mancini, whose character she softened with her kindness. After her husband was murdered, Rita tried to prevent her sons from seeking revenge, and after they also passed away, she decided to enter a convent. Initially denied entry, she worked to reconcile feuding families and succeeded at the age of 36. Her entry into the Monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene was considered miraculous. In 1442, she received the stigmata, and in 1450, she made a pilgrimage to Rome. Rita died on May 22, 1457, and her relics are said to emit a sweet fragrance, attracting pilgrims. Her cult was approved by Pope Urban VIII in 1628, and she was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1900. In Poland, devotion to Saint Rita has a long tradition, and she is venerated as the patron saint of impossible causes, mothers, and women. Masses in her honor are held in various places, such as Kraków and Warsaw, and her liturgical feast is celebrated on May 22. Iconography depicts her in a black habit with a thorn on her forehead, and her attributes include a rose, two children, a crucifix, a fig, and bees. An interesting fact is the award given by the Augustinian sisters' community to women who have demonstrated forgiveness in their lives.