Friends of the Rosary,

Today is the Optional Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia (1386-1457), an Italian saint known for her patience, cheerfulness, and union by prayer with God.

After eighteen years of married life, St. Rita lost, by death, her husband and her two sons.

Rita's parents gave her in marriage, at the age of eighteen, to an impulsive, irascible, and abusive man. Two sons were born to them, each inheriting their father's quarrelsome temperament.

She finally won her husband's heart through her sanctity and prayers, and he converted. However, soon he was murdered by an old enemy. Her sons said they would kill the assassin in revenge. Rita prayed without ceasing, and the children converted, abandoning their impulse. Immediately after, they both died of an illness.

Afterward, Rita was called to the religious state. She professed the Rule of St. Augustine at Cascia, her native town, in central Italy.

She died May 22, 1456, and both in life and after death has worked many miracles. She was not canonized until 1900 by Pope Leo XIII.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!
Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

• May 22, 2025, Today’s Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET