Saint Rita of Cascia was born Margherita Letti in Roccaporena, Cascia, Italy about the year 1320. An only child, she was betrothed to Paul Manchini at the age of fourteen and married him at the age of twenty. Paul was not your ideal husband, but Rita managed to live in harmony with him and they had two sons. After 18 years of marriage Paul was killed in a village brawl. Rita forgave his killers and worked and prayed to prevent her two boys avenging their father's murder which was expected of them by the culture of that time.
As it happened both boys died of some epidemic shortly after their father and Rita was left entirely alone. After some time and in spite of great opposition from the authorities she was allowed to join the Augustinian Convent of nuns in Cascia where she lived for the remaining forty years of her life. She was renowned as a woman of prayer and a fearless peacemaker among the feuding factions in the local village. St Rita was devoted to the Passion of Our Lord and pious tradition asserts that through her prayer, roses bloomed in the garden of her dome during winter. Hence the roses on our Parish banner and school emblem. St Rita was chosen as patron saint of our parish because she was a courageous woman of great faith, - wife, mother, widow, bereaved of her children, nun, peacemaker - a saint for our times, a perennial example of the validity of Christian faith, hope and love.
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© Brisbane Catholic Education, St Rita's School (2023)