Saint of the Day

01 · Read · A life to discover

St. Rita of Cascia

Rita of Cascia is remembered through the successive vocations of wife, mother, widow, and Augustinian nun. Her life is associated with family suffering and the search for peace, followed by a contemplative vocation in the community at Cascia. This breadth of experience has made her an important figure for people facing distress within ordinary family life.

The traditional narrative describes the murder of her husband and the later deaths of her children. Reconciliation, rather than revenge, became central to how her response was remembered. These experiences explain why her devotion speaks particularly to bereavement and conflict within families.

Entry into the monastery was not immediate; the received story includes refusal before eventual acceptance. Her later life involved the ordinary demands of living with other women as well as contemplation. Her example should not be used to imply that someone experiencing abuse must remain in danger.

Devotion to Rita also centers on her identification with Christ’s Passion and the wound traditionally associated with a thorn on her forehead. She is widely invoked in seemingly hopeless circumstances. Her shrine at Cascia preserves her memory, and the Church celebrates her on May 22.

This saint is included on this recurring date in the U.S. Roman Rite calendar published by the USCCB. This reading guide gives U.S. calendar saints priority; the Mass celebrated on a particular year’s date can differ because of Sundays, seasons or higher-ranking celebrations.