Popular American Saint

American Catholic churches in the Midwest, which have not been wreckovated, frequently include a statue of St. Rita Cascia. I am not sure why, except that she was canonized at the time when many of these churches were built and furnished with statues. Her popularity, also, stems from the fact that she was declared the Saint of Impossible Causes.

Rita was a popular name in my generation as well, parents giving homage to this saint through the baptisms of their girls. I hope the name sees a renewal.

St. Rita gives us an unusual example of a woman who had to deal with an extremely difficult husband and sons, who followed in the dad's footsteps. However, they died of illness before they could commit mortal sin through vendettas. Rita prayed for them and her husband, who did convert in the end to peace and forgiveness of his enemies. She is an example of heroic virtue.

Eventually, she was allowed to join a convent, (sadly, too many today deny older women entrance,which is unfortunate for the Church), where the saint experienced the sharing in the Passion of Christ through a festering wound in her forehead, as part of the Crown of Thorns.

If you have an impossible situation in your family, or feuding families or any type of rancor, pray to St. Rita.

She is an appropriate saint for Americans. Her feast day is today.