Living Catholicism: St. Rita of Cascia, Patron Saint of Parenthood

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June 05, 2005

St. Rita of Cascia, Patron Saint of Parenthood

I’ve decided to start a series at Living Catholicism that focuses on patron saints who are appropriate for families. I’m attempting to offer new opportunities to teach our children and ourselves about the wealth of help available to Catholics through patron Saints.

To start, it is appropriate to begin at the top: Parenthood. All parents are in need of divine assistance – from the time they begin the pregnancy onward! St. Rita of Cascia is the perfect beginning to the series, since she is the patron Saint of parenthood.

Interestingly enough, St. Rita is also known in as the patron Saint of “hopeless causes,” which ties right into parenthood! (Note: she’s actually more well-known as patroness of hopeless causes). A good amount is known about St. Rita, who was an Italian woman born in 1381. She desired to be a nun, but her parents had her married away at the age of 12 and she bore two sons during what is described as a very unhappy marriage (due to the husband). After her husbands death, her children also died. She then (eventually) become a nun. St. Rita was canonized in 1900. More is obvious from the prayer below.

This prayer is taken from the traditional novena to St. Rita:

By your perfect union with the divine Will,
By your heroic suffering during your married life,
By the consolation you experienced at the conversion of your husband,
By the anguish that filled your heart at the murder of your husband,
By your sacrifice of your children rather than see them grievously offend God,
By your miraculous entrance into the convent,
By your severe penance and thrice daily bloody scourging,
By your suffering from the wound received from the thorn of your Crucified Savior,
By the divine love that consumed your heart,
By your remarkable devotion to the Blessed Sacrament on which alone you subsisted for years,
By the happiness with which you parted from your trials to join your divine Spouse,
By the perfect example you gave to people of every state of life,
Pray for us St. Rita,
That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.