St Rita of Cascia High School - Cascian Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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meeting of Saints Augustine and Nicholas. lt was this Saintly trio that told her The impossible is overeome in your behalf and took her into the eloister of the eon- vent at Ntaddalena. l'pon finding her the next morning, the superioress and nuns welcomed her into the community after she related the forenighl's happenings to them. ller wish had been realized and she beeame a melnber of the great Order of St. Augustine after she had made her solemn professional vows. The same obedienee, which she had so eom- pletely given her parents and husband previously, was ever present to her religious superiors. Une of her earliest miraeles was the result of this vir- tue. To prove tiila's obe- dience, the superioress eommanded her to water a plant that had withered e and died. After a few f- -..v.,,,.a,, , K, p months, the plant had again taken leaf, and where the dead plant had onee before withered, it had bloomed into the most beautiful flower in the Maddalena Con- vent Garden. lleing pitiless with herself, Rita ob- l served the vow of poverty to a superlative 1 degree. Before she had taken her solemn vows, Rita had distributed all of her temporal wealth to those in need. 'I'hrough- out her entire life as a nun, Rita had worn the same habit she had reeeived upon entering the Order. Her vow of ehastity was militantly guarded, also. Page 7

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wealthy merchant, Ferdinando, was the handsome groom of the beautiful bride, Rita. Patience and humility were ever present in the early years of her marriage, which were years of cruelty. It was these same virtues which converted her hus- band. It was only after this conversion from the wicked man to the respectful husband, however, that their marriage was blessed by offspring. After the violent death ot' her husband - he had been stabbed to death by l1is enemies--her two sons, who were now reaching manhood, had wanted to avenge the action. Through the intercession of God, both sons died within a year's time! Rita had sacrificed the last of her family on earth. Being both widow and orphan, Rita prayed faithfully, telling God of her wish to become a nun. Because ot' the fact that at that time only young girls were per- mitted to join tl1e Augustinian Institute, and also because no widows were ever granted the special dispensation needed--Rita was refused entrance into the Madda- lena Convent as a nun. After the first disheartening failure, Rita prayed for another chance to enter the convent. It was during an engagement of prayer that Rita had heard someone call Rita! Rita! Opening the shutter of her window, she saw no one. Continuing her prayers, Rita again heard the voice. It told her to fear not and that she would be admitted into the convent. It was at this time that Rita placed herself into a profound communion with God and beheld St. John the Baptist, St. Nicholas of Tolentine, and St. Augustine. After the voice of Jesus had bidden her to come to the Convent, Rita woke and went to the door. In the doorway stood St. John, who guided her to the Y P ,., 5 I' I' -Y---- V -- Y --,- . . .--.. ,W Pge6

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Beside lhe lhree vows, liila plaeed her own mor- lifiealions. Her bed in hel' small eell eonsisled ol' a hardwood heneh wilh a slone nsed as a pillow. She had merely one meal a day, eonsisling ol' bread and waler. She had selll in l'lieled punishs menls. Wishing lo par lake in Chrisl's Slll.l'Cl'll1Q, she s e o u 1' g e d hersell' lh1'ee lilnes daily. These seourgings eonsisled ol one wilh a small ehain, a seeond wilh ll'2lllll'I' lhonggs, and lhe lasl wilh small ropes. All lhese lhings were physieally laking effeel on liila. Tliroughoul her env medilaled on lhe Passion ol' Om' l.o1'd. XYhen a l raneisean l' I' i a 1' , lhe lilessed .lames ol' Nlounl lirandone, eame lo Sl. hl2ll'j',S Chnreh-llila had aeeoms pai lied olhel' nuns lo heal' him speak on lhe Passion and Dealh ol' .lesus. lilessed .lames's eloqnenlly-delivered sermons al'l'eeled all who heard lhem. l'pon relnrning lo lhe llonyenl, liila ardenlly prayed lhal she loo eould share, as Sl. l'll'ZlIlClS, in lhe snllering ol' Cln'isl. I ask only for one ol' lhe seyenlyl-lwo lho rns whieh piereed your head and eaused you so mueh pain, so lhal l may feel a parl ol' lhe pain yon fell. llei' wish was granledl An ugly wound, one ol' lhe many llhrisl reeeived from lhe Crown ol' Thorns was liyed in lhe l'L'llll'l' ol' her li0I'CllC'Ill Page 8 , . . L . lire lil'e, liila had forever'