St Rita of Cascia

How to recognise St Rita of Cascia

1. Nun's habitA dark veil, white band and wimple, dark robe and belt mark her as an Augustinian nun.
2. Forehead woundOne small red mark on her forehead recalls the thorn from Christ's crown that tradition says pierced her as she prayed, and it is her most distinctive sign.
3. Roses and figsShe holds roses, sometimes with figs, recalling the winter garden blossom that tradition associates with her last days; roses are blessed on her feast.
4. CrucifixShe often holds a crucifix or kneels before one, showing the devotion at the heart of her story.
5. White beesSmall white bees sometimes appear near her, recalling the tradition that they flew around her as an infant without stinging, and linked also to her Cascia monastery.
6. ThornShe may hold a single thorn, or a palm with three thorns, pointing to her share in Christ's Passion.
7. Bowed headHer head is slightly bowed and her manner gentle and steady, showing patience and forgiveness; a halo is optional.

Names and titles

• Saint of the ImpossibleSpanish devotion called her La Santa de los imposibles, and at canonization she was named Patroness of Impossible Causes
• The Rose in WinterNear death she asked for a rose from her old garden in midwinter, and one was found blooming
• Bearer of the ThornShe prayed to share in Christ's sufferings and bore a thorn mark on her forehead
• The White Bees of CasciaWhite bees were said to hover around her as a baby, and bees are still linked to the Cascia monastery
• Peacemaker of CasciaHer parents were called Peacemakers of Jesus Christ, and she forgave her husband's killers and worked for peace

Feast days

• Feast of St Rita of Cascia22 May, every year

  The Catholic Church's optional memorial of Rita of Cascia, the widow who became an Augustinian nun. She is honoured as a peacemaker and as patron of impossible causes. It falls on the anniversary of her death in 1457.

  How it's celebrated. At Cascia the day centres on a solemn Pontifical liturgy. Afterwards pilgrims raise roses toward the sky for the blessing and take them home to share with family. Parishes elsewhere, including Augustinian churches, also bless and hand out roses. Many Catholics pray a novena in the days before, often beginning on May 13.

  Sources: Sanctuary of Santa Rita da Cascia: The feast of Saint Rita · Catholic Culture: Optional Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia · FishEaters: Feast of St. Rita of Cascia

• Anniversary of Her Canonization24 May, every year

  The anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's solemn canonization of Rita, when the Church formally declared her a saint, more than four centuries after her death. One source says it took place on Ascension Day, during the 1900 jubilee.

  How it's celebrated. The sources I found record no separate rites for this anniversary. Devotion at Cascia and in parishes centres on the May 22 feast. The 1900 canonization is remembered in Rita's story, and Pope John Paul II addressed her pilgrims on its centenary in 2000.

  Sources: Order of Saint Augustine: Saint Rita of Cascia · Vatican State: May 22, Saint Rita of Cascia · Diocese of Nashville: St. Rita of Cascia, Patroness of Impossible Causes

• Family Vocation Day at Cascia2 May 2027 (date to be confirmed)

  A day at Rita's sanctuary in Cascia for families, held on the first Sunday in May. It honours her life as daughter, wife and mother, which the sanctuary describes as lived in a Christian way with simplicity and industry. It is separate from her May 22 feast.

  How it's celebrated. Many families take part at Cascia. Each family is given a souvenir parchment and a rose. The sanctuary's calendar lists the day among its May events before the feast. The sources I found do not describe the order of the day's liturgy.

  Sources: Sanctuary of Santa Rita da Cascia: The feast of Saint Rita