On May 22 we celebrated St. Rita, Augustinian Recollect and patroness of the impossible and of lost causes. Devotion to the saint of Cascia extends throughout the five continents and, in fact, there are many Augustinian Recollect works and ministries all over the world that remember and honor her figure: from Kenya to Mexico and Spain, passing through Colombia, Venezuela or the Philippines; parishes, schools, pastoral centers, retreat houses, religious provinces of various congregations, etc.
Join us in this journey through different countries around the world to learn how the holiday has been celebrated this year 2024:
GRANADA, SPAIN:
Our tour begins in the south of Spain, specifically in the municipality of Monachil. This town, located in the valley of the Sierra Nevada massif and with a population of almost 8,000 inhabitants, maintains a deep-rooted devotion to the patron saint of the impossible.
Hundreds of people attended the last mass of the day, celebrated at six o’clock in the evening in the parish courtyard. This ceremony marked the beginning of the traditional procession that, since 1912, goes through the streets of Granada every May 22. An image of the saint of Cascia being carried by women.
Throughout the day, the Secular Fraternity of Monachil and the Augustinian Recollect friars offered candles, roses and various religious objects such as denarii, rosaries and images, in addition to administering the sacrament of confession to neighbors and pilgrims. Attendees were also able to visit the Santa Rita Museum, which exhibits photographs of past celebrations and objects from the old printing press of the magazine Santa Rita, and enjoy a projection on the life of the saint in the auditorium.
In addition, many people choose this day to send letters to the editorial staff of Santa Rita magazine. In them, they share their sufferings, ask for prayers, or express their gratitude to the Saint with immense joy.
MEXICO:
Celebrations in honor of Santa Rita in Mexico spread throughout the country. A special Eucharist was celebrated at the St. Pius X House in Querétaro with the participation of the religious community and the Secular Fraternity. During the ceremony, roses were blessed and then given to those present.
Also in Querétaro, in the Monastery of the Augustinian Recollect Nuns in Jalpan, whose patroness is Saint Rita, a Eucharistic Celebration was organized with the participation of the Secular Fraternity, friends, relatives and people close to the local sisters.
Finally, in Cuernavaca, Morelos, in the Parish of the Virgin of Guadalupe and St. Rita de Casia, the Religious Community and the Secular Fraternity carried out the triduum of roses and a special hymn in honor of St. Rita. On May 22, the festivity culminated with a Eucharistic Celebration presided over by the Prior Provincial, Fr. Carlos González Castellanos, in which texts on the life of the saint were read and roses were blessed and distributed.
COLOMBIA:
In the Colegio Agustiniano Ciudad Salitre (CACS) of Colombia, a Holy Mass was celebrated presided by the Prior Provincial of La Candelaria, Father José David Niño Gómez, OAR, and concelebrated by other Augustinian Recollect priests. Moreover, this day was even more significant because, during the Eucharist, seven members of the Secular Fraternity of St. Nicholas of Tolentine made their promises as Secular Augustinian Recollects in the Chapel of St. Augustine at the CACS.
At St. Rita de Casia Parish in Palmira, before the Eucharistic celebration, a holy hour was held, followed by mass presided by Monsignor Edgar de Jesus, Bishop of Palmira. Afterwards, there was a gathering with the parishioners in the courtyard of the old Augustinian school where they could listen to live music, dance and enjoy time together.
VENEZUELA:
In Venezuela, the Solemnity of St. Rita was celebrated in all the Augustinian Recollect parishes and schools of the country, although in St. Rita Parish in Maracaibo, in the state of Zulia, it is celebrated with special devotion. The festivity in this parish consists of an emotional procession, in which an image of Saint Rita goes through the streets of Maracaibo, and a special Eucharist, in which rose petals and holy cards of the Saint of Cascia and the Virgin Mary are blessed.
KENYA:
In Kenya, the feast was commemorated with a Mass of thanksgiving at the Augustinian Recollect Monastery of the Augustinian Recollect Nuns in Lodwar, in the guest house dedicated to the Saint of Cascia. The purpose of this lodging is to accommodate missionaries who need to rest for a specific period of time.
Although the tradition of blessing roses is not common due to the lack of flowers in the region, a triduum was held in honor of Saint Rita. The mass was an occasion of personal devotion for locals, who turn to the saint’s intercession for protection of their businesses and homes.
PHILIPPINES:
The last stop on this tour is Manila (Philippines). To celebrate this day, the Augustinian Recollect Sisters enthusiastically decorated the Saint Rita College-Convent in Quiapo with roses and a large image of the saint, patroness of the convent. Several masses were also celebrated, one of them in the courtyard of the convent with neighbors and parishioners.
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