Staying Connected to Rita

Staying

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Carl Guanlao Saint Rita of Cascia is my favorite saint and my personal patron saint. My devotion to her started in my childhood and our family has a very strong devotion to her.

Roland Blas When I was 14 I became Catholic. I immediately admired, loved, and became devoted to her life. Saint Rita of Cascia pray for us!

Kaye Abigail A A friend introduced me to St. Rita. She is amazing. She helped me with so many impossible things. Watching this video makes me want to see her in person. I pray it will happen very soon.

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maria.app13 A giant step for St. Rita ’ s beautiful Church - congratulations! She is my strength.

lisamb15 Thank you Saint Rita for always answering my prayers & brining me peace when I feel overwhelmed, you are truly a Saint of the Impossible

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Diana Paglia Thank you St. Rita of the Impossible! Prayers for our country and world and all our people!!!

Margaret E. Smith Love St. Rita. Her intercession saved my marriage plus many more!

SAINT RITA IN THE NEWS The National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia is honoring its namesake with a virtual novena and Feast Day celebration PassyunkPost.com, May 17, 2020 “Some of the most prevalent feelings that people are experiencing during this crisis are sadness, anxiety, fear, and isolation, ” said Jerome, who is overseeing his first novena. “Saint Rita, because of various events in her life, dealt with all of these too, and she pressed on because she trusted the Lord. That’ s a great message to proclaim today. ” - Jonathan Jerome, Director of the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia

St. Rita Shrine marks feast day with nationally televised Mass on EWTN CatholicPhilly.com, May 27, 2020 “She is a reminder that with God, all things are possible. She also reminds us of God’ s nearness to those who place their trust in him, so, it is with all of our energy and sincerity that we say, ‘Saint Rita, pray for us. ’” - Fr. Michael DiGregorio, O.S.A., Homilist at the Mass for the Solemn Feast of Saint Rita

Area shrines slowly reopen as COVID restrictions ease CatholicPhilly.com, June 13, 2020 “In South Philadelphia, reopening the National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia has been a ‘ slow but intentional’ process. We know it’ s an important place of prayer, reconciliation, peace and healing for so many people. - Jonathan Jerome, Director of the National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia

Holy Spirit Radio Interview: CathTrips HolySpiritRadio.org, July 30, 2020 “In the heart of South Philadelphia lies a Catholic Shrine that is truly a staple for both South Philadelphia natives and tourists. The National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia is located on South Broad Street near the University of the Arts and a mile and a half from City Hall. ” - Ms. Callie Shinkle, Host of CathTrips

Groundbreaking Held For Senior Affordable Housing Community St. Rita Place Philadelphia.cbslocal.com, August 10, 2020 “The building will consist of 46 one-bedroom apartments for income-eligible seniors, 62 and older. The project is a joint effort between Catholic Housing and Community Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia. ”

South Philly seniors eye affordable housing as St. Rita’s Place begins CatholicPhilly.com, August 11, 2020 “We create community where residents care for one another and become an extended family so that no one feels alone. During this time of our recent turmoil, the peacemaking message of Saint Rita becomes even more profound, and the opportunity to be creating this Cascia Center to respond to their need for peace and reconciliation is truly an incredible gift. ” - Archbishop Nelson Pérez, Presider at the Groundbreaking

Liturgical Catechesis: The Integration of Liturgy and Catechesis Worship, Volume 94, Fall 2020 Written and submitted by Jonathan Jerome, this scholarly article examines four phases of liturgical catechesis (catechesis for the liturgy, catechesis through the liturgy, catechesis from the liturgy, and catechesis for mission) in order to assess how liturgy and catechesis have been integrated well and also ways in which this integration might be improved.

CASCIA CENTER Move For PLANS ward

By Fr. James Paradis, O.S.A., Director of Outreach Ministries

Construction of Cascia Center begins In a h letter usban to a d in close death f , riend Saint who lost her Augustine wrote: If poverty pinches, if grief saddens, if pain overcomes us, if exile darkens our life, if any other misfortune fills us with foreboding, let there be good friends at hand who know how to ‘ weep with them that weep ‘ as well as ‘ rejoice with them that rejoice. ’ With such good friends bitter trials are lessened, the heavy burdens are lightened, the obstacles are met and overcome. (Letter 130, 2.4)

It is our hope and plan that the new Cascia Center is an oasis of friendship in Philadelphia that heals broken lives and builds a community of peace. Our inspiration is Saint Rita of Cascia who, having experienced Christ’ s healing presence in the face of violence and death that touched her family, bore the gospel message of reconciliation and peace to the wounded world around her. In doing so, she became a friend to humanity, lifting people to new life in the love of God.

The needs of our community.

People young and old hunger today for this new life. All we have to do is look around our world, into our neighborhoods, indeed into ourselves to see the restlessness that seeks meaning and fractured lives which need healing. We badly need to break from sinful and broken barriers that render us divided from ourselves and others – leaving us isolated, bitter, and dispirited. We need to find alternatives to the addictive cycles of blame, tension, unconstructive anger, hatred, and revenge. Can we work to speak honestly about life and transform our pain on a path toward reconciliation? The God of love is present in creation calling us to this communion.

Cascia Center will include more than 7,000 square feet

How can we struggle to embrace the power of forgiveness? How can we work to find balance in our life and attitudes? These are weighty tasks; so often we carry horrific wounds, stress, and discouragement. Yet our faith declares that the heart of God is in the midst of every pain, as the cross of Jesus makes clear. Rita trusted in this gift and helped others find it. It is ultimately the restoring love of God, underpinning the deepest part of our souls, that restores our humanity and empowers us to live fully in freedom and peace. In this we discover our deepest identity and joy.

Planning to make a difference.

From Left: Fr. Jim Paradis, O.S.A., Fr. Joe Genito, O.S.A. (Former Shrine Director), Fr. Nick Martorano, O.S.A., Fr. Bob Guessetto, O.S.A., Pat and Sam Bruno, Fr. Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A., Prior Provincial (Former Shrine Director), Archbishop Nelson Perez, Fr. Jim Spenard, O.S.A., Jonathan Jerome (Current Shrine Director) and Chesley Turner (Former Shrine Director)

we build a “ culture of encounter ” as Pope Francis challenges the Church, drawing near to people in their alienation and pain, striving to be a force for compassion, reconciliation and healing in our lives? We ’ re engaging many voices in this discussion – friends of the Shrine, longtime patrons of St. Rita, ministers and others who know the many needs for peacemaking around us. Saint Rita ’ s Shrine is already a unique place on Broad Street for quiet prayer, sacramental confession, celebration of Eucharist, and devotion. We want to build on this and in fact improve opportunities for pilgrims and communities to gather. At the same time, how can we extend our outreach and bonds of friendship– just as St. Rita reached out to others – through services that promote transformed, reconciled persons and communities? Our plans thus far have us already offering needed pastoral counseling, group support, spiritual direction, retreats and education for a variety of persons: young people, elderly, couples, the bereaved, those who have suffered loss, and professionals wishing to break from relational tensions, divisions and addictions. We continue to offer pastoral counseling and support for victims of sexual abuse and their families. We hope to become a place of refreshment, renewal and education for caregivers, ministers, parents and leaders who are subjected to particular stressors.

Our vision: healing broken lives.

Creating the Cascia Center is a work of prayer, dialogue, “ encounter ” and friendship. As Augustinians, this is the gift of our community life. We strive to bring people together, to learn from each other and discover God in this exchange. We believe the gift of reconciliation is carried in the stories of our lives and in the sharing of these stories. When we are able to have our stories heard and respected, we come alive. We find strength to renew and heal. We find partners of dialogue and trust in bearing the wounds of life and in examining our lives and values so that we might author a future story of hope together. In every ministry of welcome, education and skill-building or renewal, the Cascia Center will be a place where stories are honored and shared as sacred gifts for our mutual benefit and healing – that we all might create a community of peace that inspires and builds fullness of life. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this new and vital ministry of the Shrine. Your prayers, support, ideas, and reflections are most appreciated in the days ahead.

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