Today, May 22, is the memorial of Saint Rita of Cascia.
Patron saint of impossible cases.
Born in 1381 in Umbria, Italy, the young Rita was already decided on becoming a nun. Back then, arranged marriages were common and so her parents Antonio and Amata Lotti wanted her to marry Paolo Mancini.
Thus at age 12, Rita became Paolo’s wife. However, he was a hot-tempered man who made many enemies. Rita, who became a mother of two sons Giovanni Antonio and Paulo Maria, was a miserable wife for 18 years for Paolo was unkind to her.
She became a widow when her husband was stabbed to death in a fight. Her sons wanted revenge, something that Rita felt was offensive to God. She prayed to God that she would rather have her sons dead than allow them to commit mortal sin. The year after that, God answered her prayers. The brothers were killed by dysentery.
Free from family life, Rita decided to pursue her vocation to become a nun. She applied at the Augustinian convent in Cascia, but was turned down because she was a widow and a non-virgin. In 1413, the convent community was convinced of her vocation and so allowed her to become a nun. Inside the cloister, Rita was admired for her austerity, prayerfulness, charity, and humility.
A devotee of Christ’s Passion, Rita asked Jesus to allow her to participate in His sufferings. After this, a stigmata appeared on Rita’s forehead. The wound looked like it was caused by a crown of thorns. For 15 years, the wound bled.
She died around 75/76 in 1457. Pope Urban VIII beatified Rita in 1627. Pope Leo XIII canonized her in 1900.