RITA OF CASCIA, Saint. - Augustinian mystic of the 15th century, b. at Roccaporena, a village in the mountains of Cascia in Umbria, around 1380, d. at Cascia on 22 May 1457. From her parents Antonio and Amata Mancini she inherited a genuine religious sense, which would lead her even to heroism.

Her desire, as a young girl, was to consecrate herself as a virgin to the Lord. But constrained by obedience, she bowed to the conjugal yoke. Having married a certain Ferdinand, a young man choleric and harsh, she endured with holy resignation the temperament of her husband, who was too fond of quarrels and brawls. Two children were born: Giacomo Antonio and Paolo Maria. After some years of marriage, her husband Ferdinand was murdered, but R. knew how to forgive the murderers and sought to instill Christian piety in the souls of her children. However, when she saw the seed of vengeance for their father's killing sprouting in them, she preferred that God take them back, rather than see those innocent hands stained with blood. The children died. Then the longing to consecrate herself to God in the religious life resurfaced in her. Having entered the Augustinian monastery in Cascia, she made herself a model of religious perfection. She was also deemed worthy of a particular gift (she asked Jesus for a thorn from his crown; and the thorn embedded itself in her forehead, causing her most acute pains). In 1450, eager to go to Rome for the Jubilee, the wound healed over, only to reopen as soon as she returned to Cascia. She was canonized by Leo XIII on 24 May 1900. Feast day on 22 May.

Bibliography22 works

BIBL.: among the lives of the Saint: L. Tardy, Foligno 1805, 4th ed. Rome 1900; it is among the best studies; almost all later biographers made use of this life. Among the most recent are cited: D. A. Perini, Rome 1901 and Coversano 1929; A. Denati, Cascia 1910; L. Sarno, Naples 1915; A. Ruelli, Siena 1916; 3rd ed. Rome 1943; P. Marabottini, 2nd ed. Rome 1928; C. A. De Romanis, 3rd ed., Rome 1935; S. Bellandi, Florence 1925, 12th ed. up to 1940; L. Vannutelli, Richiamo alla storia: vita di s. R. da C., Perugia 1925; L. Salerno, Lecce 1928; C. Pace, Milan 1928; T. Nediani, Faenza 1930 (literarily, the best biography of St. R.); V. Magni, Milan 1933; D. C. Bordoni, Foligno 1934; A. Queirolo, Milan 1935; O. Apuzzo, Turin 1936; S. Cassarà, Il più alto tipo di donna italiana: s. R. da C., Palermo 1940; S. Pesce-Gorini, Rome 1941; A. Gualandi, Bari 1950. For a fairly copious bibliography on the Saint, v.: P. Cherubelli, R. da C. nei secoli, Florence 1941; by the same author: R. da C.: la santa del dolore, Florence 1942. For the criticism of Vannutelli and Cherubelli, v. A. Morini, in Dalle Api alle Rose, 25 (1947), pp. 37-48.

Davide Falcioni

RITA OF CASCIA, saint - Funeral casket of St. R. of C. with the figure of the Saint painted on the lid; the Magdalene and St. R. at the sides of the dead Christ on the front side (1457).(phot. Giordani)

@incollection{ec10_rita_da_cascia_santa, author = {Falcioni, Davide}, title = {Rita da Cascia, santa}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {X}, pages = {994--995}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1953}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/rita-da-cascia-santa} }

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Rita of Cascia, Saint

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