The Miracles of Saint Rita

Saint Rita de Cascia is one of the most revered saints, and for good reason: the miracles obtained by her intercession can no longer be counted. During her lifetime, she already obtained great graces from the Lord. After her death, there are even more: blind people who could see again, mute people who started talking, dying people who were healed, etc. This holy miracle worker thus became the patron of lost causes. Discover the extraordinary events that marked the life of Saint Rita and the testimonies of healing that took place near her tomb.

Miracles in the life of Saint Rita

The birth of Saint Rita

Saint Rita's parents formed a holy couple, praying, charitable and loving each other. They suffered, as they were not able to have children. After constantly praying for this, it was revealed to the mother, Aimée Ferri, that the Lord had heard her. Indeed, nine months later, the couple had the joy of welcoming a beautiful little girl whom they called Rita, abbreviation of Margherita.

The miracle of the bees

While working in the fields, her parents put little Rita in a basket at the foot of a tree, where she was soon surrounded by bees. One peasant, having injured his hand, returned to the baby. He discovered her covered with bees, even entering her mouth. Yet to the amazement of all, the bees did no harm to her. Moreover, looking at his hand, the peasant saw that it was perfectly healed. When Rita became a nun, similar bees came to settle in the convent.

The miracle of the vine

Sister Rita always obeyed the Mother Superior. To test her, the Mother asked her to go so far as to water a dried vine every day. Despite the mockery, Rita took this job very seriously. After a year the miracle occurred: the dead branch turned green again, grew, and produced an excellent grape. This branch still lives in the convent of Cascia and has been producing grapes of exceptional quality for more than five hundred years.

The miracle of roses

Sister Rita asked a visitor to bring her a rose from her garden. She went away, thinking distractedly because winter was in full swing. Having forgotten the patient's request, she passes in front of her old garden and to her great surprise, she saw a beautiful rose. This happened again with two figs that were ripe in the middle of winter.

The miracle of the forehead thorn

As she prayed intensely remembering the Lord's passion, Rita asked to share the pain of a thorn from the crown of thorns with Jesus. This was granted to her, and immediately, a thorn detached from the crucifix and came to sink deep into Rita's forehead, leaving her with a very painful wound. This miraculous wound would never heal for the rest of the fourteen years that Rita would live, except during her pilgrimage to Rome. Even today, the wound is visible on her body, which remains miraculously in an excellent state of preservation and still emits a fragrance when the vessel is open.

Miracles after the death of Saint Rita

Immediately after Saint Rita's death, miracles started to occur. Many people saw her rise to glory; and the monastery bell started to ring without anyone touching it. The wound on her forehead scarred, leaving only a beautiful trace, her body gave off a fragrance, and her face appeared much more beautiful than usual. A sister leaned down to kiss her and immediately shouted about a miracle, as her paralyzed arm had just regained its mobility.

A crowd from all over the region wants to worship the body of the one who was already known as "the saint of Rocca Porena". A special open coffin was therefore prepared to deposit the body, which remains beautiful, supple and fragrant. A number of miracles occurred near the one whose intercession was already so powerful on Earth. Miracles taking place through the intercession of Saint Rita are recorded in a register, here are some examples:

• In 1457, the year of Rita's death, a young girl who was mute by birth, was taken to the tomb of the saint, to whom she prayed fervently. After a short time, she began to recite the Hail Mary on her own, to the amazement of all.
• In the same year, a woman named Lucia came to pray at the tomb of Cascia. She was blind in one eye and very visually impaired in the other. After fifteen days of prayers, she was healed and had a perfect vision in both eyes.
• One of the miracles that led to the canonization of Saint Rita is that of Elizabeth Bergamini. She suffered from smallpox and went blind. Her parents took her to Cascia to pray to Saint Rita. Four months later, the little girl regained her sight.
• The other miracle presented for the cause of canonization is that of Cosma Pellegrini, suffering from an incurable and deadly disease. It was then that he had a vision of Saint Rita greeting him, and he immediately regained all his strength.

The testimonies of graces received by the intercession of Saint Rita are ever more numerous and uninterrupted since her death, as evidenced by the numerous ex-votos in the Basilica of Cascia in Italy.