22 May: Feast of Saint Rita of Cascia

by popadmin | May 16, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups

22 May: Feast of Saint Rita of Cascia. In the hills of Cascia, Italy, Antonio and Amata Lotti welcomed their only child, Margherita, in 1381. Her name meant “pearl” and she was called Rita. Growing up in Cascia, Rita knew the local Augustinian nuns and was attracted to their way of life. But her parents arranged a marriage to provide security, and so Rita obediently married Paolo Mancini with whom she had two sons. In the troubling political climate, there was often conflict between families. Paolo was the victim of one conflict, and was murdered. The societal expectation was that the boys should avenge father’s murder. Rita forgave her husband’s killers. She faced a steep challenge in convincing her sons to do the same. She pointed to the image of the crucified Christ and the fact that he forgave those who killed him. Soon, however, both sons died of illness. Trusting God after these tragedies, Rita felt called to a second vocation: religious life. The sisters at the Monastery were hesitant and refused her request, because although Rita had forgiven her husband’s killers, family had not. There were members of the rival family in the convent; her presence would be detrimental to community harmony. And so, Rita set out to make peace between the families. She went to her husband’s family and exhorted them to put aside hostility. They were convinced by her courage. The rival family, astounded by this, also agreed. The families exchanged a peace embrace and signed an agreement, putting the vendetta to rest forever. At age 36, Rita finally was accepted into the Augustinian convent. She lived a life of prayer, contemplation and spiritual reading for 40 years. On Good Friday of 1442, she had an extraordinary experience. In contemplation before an image of Jesus, she was deeply moved and spoke her willingness to relieve Christ’s suffering by sharing in his pain. Her offer was accepted, and Rita was given a thorn from his crown penetrating her forehead. The wound it caused remained open until her death. Toward the end of her life, Rita was visited by a relative who asked if there was anything she could do. Rita asked for a rose from the garden of her family home. It was January, the dead of winter, but upon arrival at Rita’s family garden, the relative astonishingly found a fresh rose in the snowy garden. She brought the miraculous rose to Rita, who died peacefully on May 22, 1457. The convent bells immediately began to peal unaided by human hands. So many people came to look upon the gentle face of the “Peacemaker of Cascia” that her burial had to be delayed. It became clear that something exceptional was occurring as her body was free from nature’s usual course. It is still incorrupt today, in a glass coffin in the basilica of Cascia, where numerous miracles have been wrought. On May 24, 1900, Pope Leo XIII canonized St. Rita, heralding her as the saint of impossible and desperate cases. St. Rita’s Church at Cascia was raised to the ranks of a basilica, September 11, 1955, by Pope Pius XII.

Ideas for celebrating this feast at home:

• In honor of her name, make “Margherita” Pizza for dinner (recipe here!) Really, any Italian themed meal would be fitting.
• Plant a rose bush in your yard: roses are one of the symbols associated with St. Rita.
• Read the address that Pope St. JP II gave on the 100^th anniversary of St. Rita’s canonization: link here.

·         Go to confession: exemplified by forgiveness of her husband’s murderers, Saint Rita is patroness of reconciliation.

·         Peacemaking: the Saint of Cascia didn’t just forgive, she helped two rival families set aside a vendetta and make peace. Is there a person you need to make peace with? Be inspired by Saint Rita to do it today.

·         Play a game of baseball! St. Rita has been loosely associated with the game of baseball. If you’re not convinced that an unofficial patron can help you out in the bottom of the ninth, remember that Saint Rita is also the Patroness of Impossible Causes!

(sources: excerpts from “The Precious Pearl” by Fr. Michael DiGregorio; stritashrine.org)

10 May: Feast of Saint Damien of Molokai

by popadmin | May 9, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups

10 May: Feast of Saint Damien of Molokai. Joseph de Veuser, who took the religious name Damien, was born into a large Belgian farming family in 1840. During his youth he felt called to become a Catholic missionary. He joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. His superiors planned to send Damien’s brother, a member of the same congregation, to Hawaii. But he became sick, and Damien arranged to take his place. Brother Damien arrived in Honolulu in 1864 and was ordained a priest the same year. Nine years later, Father Damien responded to his bishop’s call for priests to serve on the leper colony of Molokai. The island was a wasteland, where quarantined lepers faced hopeless conditions and extreme deprivation. Father Damien volunteered to go. Upon arrival, he found the colony in disarray. Anarchy reigned; patients were not cared for; every kind of immorality was on display. There was no law or order. Fr. Damien provided leadership. Where other missionaries had kept lepers at arms’ length, Fr. Damien instead immersed himself in their life and showed God’s love. He had them come together to build houses, schools and eventually the parish church, St. Philomena. The church still stands today. The sick were cared for and the dead buried. Order and routine made the colony livable. Fr. Damien personally provided much of the care the people needed. Fr. Damien’s work helped to raise the lepers up from their physical sufferings, while also making them aware of their worth as beloved children of God. Although he could not take away suffering, he could change its meaning as a redemptive path toward eternal life. Fr. Damien was supposed to be replaced by another volunteer. However, he grew attached to the people and his work. He asked permission to permanently stay at the colony to serve. His request was granted. Fr. Damien drew strength from Eucharistic adoration and the celebration of the Mass, but longed for another priest so that he could receive the sacrament of confession. In December 1884, Fr. Damien lost all feeling in his feet. It was an early, but unmistakable sign that he had contracted leprosy. He continued his work, despite the illness slowing taking over his body. He often spent time in the presence of the Eucharist: “It is at the foot of the altar that we find the strength we need in our isolation,” he wrote. The disease eventually robbed him of his eyesight, speech and mobility. In the end, priests of his congregation arrived to administer last sacraments to the dying priest. Father Damien died during Holy Week, on April 15, 1889, after spending sixteen years working on the colony. He was beatified in 1995 and canonized in 2009. He is the patron saint of people with leprosy.

(His feast day is an unusual date selection. It is customary for a saint’s feast to be the date that he enters into eternal life. However, April 15 often falls during Lent when the church does not celebrate optional memorials. Thus, May 10 was picked: it marks the day on which Damien performed a particular act of supreme charity and selflessness that would ultimately lead to his canonization. May 10 was the date in 1873 that he first stepped onto the island of Molokai.)

Ideas for celebrating this feast at home:

• In St. Damien’s honor, host a family luau, complete with a Hawaiian feast! Food ideas: Hawaiian chicken or Hawaiian meatballs, Hawaiian rolls, potato-mac salad, fresh pineapple or mango salsa, pineapple rice. Or, make a slow cooker kalua pig! For dessert, serve a Hawaiian wedding cake or a Hawaiian Haupia.
• Listen to an audio book about St. Damien on FORMED: The Spirit of Father Damien by Jan de Volder
• Watch a movie about his life, available on Amazon prime: Molokai – the Story of Father Damien
• Who is a “leper” in your community? (an ‘outcast’ in need of love and mercy) Do something today to make them feel loved.
• Create a poster of hope or homemade cards of encouragement and deliver them to a children’s hospital or nursing home in your community.

(sources: Catholicnewsagency.com, CatholicCulture.org, Hawaiiancatholicherald.com)