St. Rita of Cascia was an extremely pious Italian Catholic saint from the Middle Ages (1381 - 1457), who described herself as “in love with Christ”. Despite her many trials and suffering during her life, she is one of the saints the most prayed to, giving her a reputation of someone who is always there for us, especially during the most despairing moments of our lives. Do not hesitate to turn to her either in prayer or a novena to help you in troubled times!
For nine days, you will say the prayer of the day, followed by one “Glory Be” and then the following prayer:
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was, in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end amen. Amen.
Lord Jesus, today, through the hands of Saint Rita,
we present you with our personal situations and
our immense desire for the good of our families
and our communities.
Send upon us, O Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit,
so that our attitudes and our words,
like those of Saint Rita, may be inspired by your Gospel
and guided by your grace.
You are God and live and reign with the Father
and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen
By the intercession of Saint Rita may God bless us,
Father and Son and Holy Spirit.
Day 1. We honour you, O Saint of Cascia, for your fidelity to your baptismal vows. Intercede for us with the Lord so that we may live with joy and coherency our vocation to holiness, overcoming evil with good.
Day 2. We honour you, O glorious Saint Rita, for your testimony of love for prayer in all the ages of life. Help us to remain united to Jesus because without Him we cannot do anything and only by invoking his name can we be saved.
Day 3. We honour you, O saint of forgiveness, for the strength and courage that you have demonstrated in the more tragic moments of your life. Intercede for us with the Lord so that we may overcome every doubt and fear, believing in the victory of love even in the most difficult situations..
Day 4. We honour you, O Saint Rita, expert of family life, for the example of virtue that you have left us: as a daughter, spouse and mother, as a widow and nun. Help us so that everyone of us may value the gifts received from God, sowing hope and peace through the fulfilment of our daily duties..
Day 5. We honour you, O saint of the thorn and the rose, for your humble and true love for Jesus crucified. Help us to repent of our sins and to love him with facts and in the truth.
Day 6. We honour you, O Saint Rita, for your purity of heart and faithfulness. Help us to keep a pure and faithful heart especially when nothing seems possible.
Day 7. We honour you, O saint of patience, for always trusting in God’s way of doing things and not that of the world. Through your intercession, give us the patience that we need daily, especially when waiting on God to answer our prayers. Teach us “Thy will be done”.
Day 8. We honour you, O glorious Saint Rita, for your forgiveness of those that have done you wrong. Teach us how to forgive especially when forgiveness seems impossible. Give us a spirit of charity.
Day 9. We honour you, O Saint Rita, for your infinite trust in God’s mercy and love for all mankind, especially for those who are the most difficult to love. Teach us to see one another with the eyes of Jesus.
Offer all of your worries and hardship to St. Rita during this this nine day novena. Let her lift your spirits and help you to see the light at the end of the tunnel. She will help you regain courage and confidence while solving all of your problems.
Each day you will look at different aspects of the life of St. Rita. You will also receive a prayer to St. Rita and a verse from the Bible. At the end of each day you can also say the “Indulgence Prayer” to her.
The Catholic Church honors St. Rita of Cascia on May 22nd of each year. Traditionally, many novenas are prayed to this important saint and they usually begin on May 14th. However, a novena to St. Rita can be said at any time during the year! You can also use the novena and pray to St. Rita on nine consecutive Sundays, giving yourself time to contemplate the many virtues of this great saint.
St. Rita lived a life of suffering which she was always able to overcome with the help of her faith. Because of this, she has become known as the patron saint of impossible cases, of difficult situations, but also for all of the suffering in this world. St. Rita is also well known for her gentleness and humility, being able to bring love and peace back into the life of a couple where there is conflict and opposition. Many prayers exist asking St. Rita to intercede and help couples who are breaking up. She intercedes for Jesus and puts your prayers into the hands of the Lord!
Prayer is an important consolation during times of trial and tribulation where we just don’t have the courage to keep trying and thinking positively! Here are a few prayer communities that can give you the support that you need in desperate situations or when painful decisions are to be made etc.