The
PEACEMAKER NATIONAL SHRINE SAINT RITA
OF
CASCIA
Winter 2015
THE PEACEMAKER
Winter, 2015 Publication of the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia Shrine Director: Fr. Joseph Genito, O.S.A.
Development Director, Editor: Deborah Binder, M.Ed. Photographer: Fr. Daniel McLaughlin, O.S.A.
Layout: accent communications, inc., Phila. PA Printer: Gerald O’Neill, Fast Forms
Contact us for a free subscription National Shrine of St. Rita 1166 So. Broad St., Phila. PA 19146 215-546-8333
WWW.SAINTRITASHRINE.ORG
ritashrine@aol.com
Shrine Hours of Operation: Weekdays: 7:30 AM - 5:25 PM Wednesday: 7:30 AM - 7:30 PM Saturday: 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Masses: Weekday: 8 AM, 12 PM Wednesday: 8 AM, 12 PM, 7 PM Novena after all Masses on Wed. Saturday: 8 AM, 12 Noon, 5 PM Sunday: 9 AM, 11 AM Masses
Confessions: Monday-Saturday Eucharistic Adoration: Daily
SHRINE BOARD MEMBERS: Fr. Joseph Genito, O.S.A. Executive Director Edward Caruso Louis Cinquanto Anthony DeCarlo Fr. John Deegan, O.S.A. Dina DellaDucata Fr. Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A. Ron Donatucci John Grogan Dominic Liberi Judge Timothy Rice 2
ISSUE THEME:
“IN THANKSGIVING”
“I give thanks to you, my sweet-
ness, my honor, my confidence; to
you, my God, I give thanks for your gifts. Preserve them for me. So
will you preserve me and what you have given me will grow and reach perfection, and I will be with you,
because this too is your gift to me – that I exist.”
FROM SAINT AUGUSTINE’S CONFESSIONS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter from the Shrine Director
3
2015 Italy Pilgrimage to Cascia & Rome
6
Article, Fr. Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A.
2015 Peace Award Recipient
4
8
Article, Don Manno, Friend of Shrine
10
Memorial Enrollments
19
Your Word To Us
14
Article, Denise McNulty, Friend of Shrine
20
Letter from the Development Director
26
Announcement about St. Rita Habit
Plan a Pilgrim Retreat to St. Rita Shrine
Cover: National Shrine of St. Rita photo by Candace DiCarlo Back: St. Rita Shrine, Phila., U.S.A. & St. Rita Basilica Cascia, Italy
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WORDS from FATHER JOE DEAR FRIENDS OF THE SHRINE,
St. Ambrose, whose preaching was instrumental in converting St. Augustine, said: “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” On a number of occasions, I have heard people comment that they were moved by the fact that we sent a letter of thanks from the Shrine for their donations. To acknowledge the generosity and thoughtfulness of others is to recognize that we are in their debt; what they give us is freely given out of their love and respect, and so they contribute to the building up of our cause. There can be nothing greater than the selflessness of generosity, and because those who are generous give without thought of receiving, they receive back a hundredfold, according to Jesus’ way of thinking. We at the Shrine give thanks to God for all of you who have consistently supported us, some recently and some for many years. The work we strive to do is kept alive by your dependable donations and prayerful patronage. Year after year, the Shrine collects the necessary funds to maintain our buildings and provide the services which promote awareness of Saint Rita and her inspirational life.
On the horizon, we anticipate a number of events which will be enriching and uplifting. As you will see in this issue, we are expecting the arrival of a replica of the religious habit worn by Saint Rita which has touched her incorrupt body. The visit of Pope Francis later this year during the World Meeting of Families conference will bring hundreds of thousands of people to Philadelphia, many of whom we hope will visit our Shrine. And we have chosen our 2015 Peace
Award recipient, Fr. Doug McKay, whose humble service to marginalized souls who are struggling to redeem their lives has spanned decades. For all these, we are truly grateful, for they provide opportunities to introduce more people to the spiritual treasure of Saint Rita.
We are grateful and will continue to say thank you to all who help us, both by financial donations and prayers. As Meister Eckhart said, “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” With gratitude to God for the gift of your solidarity with us, we pray that you will reap the promised hundredfold and more, and that God will reward you with peace.
Fr. Joseph A. Genito, O.S.A. Shrine Director
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VIEW FROM MY HEART BY FR. MICHAEL DI GREGORIO O.S.A .
IN THANKSGIVING FOR THE “Defender OF THE Weak” “Let unbelievers know that you are helper of the humble, the defender of the weak, and the strength of those who trust in You.”
This statement, which is contained in the concluding prayer of the novena to Saint Rita, is addressed not to our saint but to God the Father. These words make an impression on me every time I read them, even now after weekly repetition, over the course of the years.
all of us—or at least desires to deal with us, if we are open to him. Oftentimes it is easier for us to look back to see the way in which God has worked in the past, than it is to look around us to see precisely what he is about in the unfolding of the present moment. Similarly, his activity may be more
THE SAINTS BECOME gifts TO US — ENABLING US TO SEE MORE clearly, THROUGH THEIR experience
While they express a deep conviction of faith in God which is always true and always applicable, they seem to be especially appropriate when spoken in relation to Saint Rita. She, after all, is the humble woman to whom God’s help was never lacking; the weak instrument whom the Lord defended in the face of the trials and disappointments of life; the trusting daughter and disciple in whom the strong hand of God became wondrously manifest. And being the recipient of God’s favor in these various ways, she becomes a sign and reminder of how God deals with 4
easily perceived in the lives of others than it is in our own. Here is how the saints become gifts to us—enabling us to see more clearly, through their experience, how God indeed interacts with his people, helping, defending and strengthening those who trust in him.
Fr. Michael Di Gregorio O.S.A. was the founding Rector of St. Rita Shrine in Phila. & the “Peacemaker” Magazine. This selection was reprinted from the Nov.-Dec. 1998 issue. Fr. Michael served here from 1991 to 2007. In 2014 he was elected as the Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova Augustinians.
2015 - A SPECIAL YEAR OF
Evangelizing ABOUT St. Rita
The World Meeting of Families Conference and the Papal Visit of Our Holy Father, Pope Francis,
this Fall to Philadelphia create a blessed and unique time in the Catholic History of ‘The City of Brotherly Love.’ Leadership from the Shrines of Philadelphia, St. Katharine St. Peter’s Square, Italy Photo D. Binder Drexel, Miraculous Medal, St. John Neumann and St. Rita, have prayed and worked together since April, 2014 to develop an Evangelizing plan for the Marketing and Promotion of our Shrines for the coming year, in a way that has been unprecedented in our Diocese prior to this. St. Rita Shrine is thankful for the prayers, expertise, support, camaraderie, and loving relationships from the leadership of the other ‘Holy Grounds, Sacred Spaces’ in the Philadelphia Diocese!
St. Rita Shrine Evangelizing Efforts Include: New “Days of Recollection & Retreat” offerings at the Shrine “Banners on Broad Street” Fundraiser to promote St. Rita’s virtues & the location of the National Shrine of St.Rita Overhaul & updating of the www.SaintRitaShrine.org website Hotel Commercial on Phila Visitor’s Channel, VATv, in 18,000 hotel rooms, will be shown almost 8800 times a year, for the next 2 years Social Media expert & blogger Diana von Glahn of “The Faithful Traveler,” seen on EWTN, will use social media to promote our Shrine events “Select Tours” has designed special pilgrimages to us for WMOF week
Philly Shrines’ Brochures in Turnpike Rest Stop Displays NJ & PA, in Philly Hotel Displays, and in the Philadelphia Visitor Center Display Mobile App being created for Philly Catholic Shrines New www.PhillyCatholicShrines.org website created to link our shrines Promotional efforts during WMOF week to include: special literature to convention attenders, convention exhibit booth space and trolley shuttles to & from Convention Center and St. Rita’s Special events the week of WMOF in September, 2015 at the Shrine
Please Pray for Our Friars, Employees & Volunteers! 5
2015 Pilgrimage FROM St. Rita Shrine Italy: Rita & Beyond
11 Day Pilgrimage, October 4-14 2015 Prayer & Mass Daily $3,959 Some of the Cities on our Itinerary:
Roccaporena: Rita’s birthplace, home of birth & marriage, Scoglia-her special place of prayer
Cascia: Rita’s monastery, her cell, her bascilica, her incorrupt body
Assisi: St. Francis & St. Claire and history of Franciscan Spirituality, Giotto Frescoes Rome: The Vatican, Amazing Churches & Basilicas
Ostia Antica: Harbour City, ancient ruins, history with St. Augustine & St. Monica WE WERE BLESSED that the last two pilgrimages to Italy in 2011 & 2013 were amazingly peaceful; guided through the intercession of St. Rita!
Call Us at 215-546-8333 or Visit Our Website at www.SaintRitaShrine.org to hear more as our plans unfold!
Fr. Frank Doyle O.S.A has happily offered to be
our Spiritual Leader for our Pilgrimage to “Rita and Beyond!’ In addition to Parish assignments in NY, PA, and NC, Fr. Frank has served as a Novice Director, a retreat master at the ‘Living Water Reflection Center’ and a member of the ‘Haywood County Domestic Violence Task Force,’ both in NC. In 2007 Fr. Frank engaged in missionary work in So. Africa for 7 yrs., among the Zulu population, pastoring four communities. He is now the prior of the Augustinian Pre-Novitiate Community in PA. Fr. Frank has a special interest in Bl. Stephen Bellesini, whose holy burial place we will visit during our 2015 pilgrimage, along with St. Rita and several other amazing Saints. As Fr. Frank states, “I admire Rita most because of her surrender to the will of God in her life.”
Sun., Oct. 4th to Wed., Oct. 14th
5 nights at the Hotel Della Rosa, Cascia across street from Basilica and 4 nights at the Casa S. Alberto, Rome, a very short walk to the Vatican & St. Peter’s Square. Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Pope’s Cathedral Church where relics of both Sts. Peter and Paul remain under the main altar.
Holy Staircase which is believed to be from Pilate’s palace in Jerusalem and brought to Rome by St. Helen in the 4th century. Basilica of St. Mary Major, the oldest church dedicated to Our Lady where we will see a relic from the manger of the infant Jesus.
St Peter's Basilica, built on the site where St Peter was martyred. Unsurpassed in beauty we will see the Pieta and have Mass here one day!
Vatican Museums: The Tapestry Gallery, The Raphael Rooms and the most overwhelming Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's Masterpiece, restored mural of the Last Judgment.
Our 2013 Italy Pilgrimage was also through 206 Tours. We had an incredible experience through their planning and we chose to work with them again.
Visit www.pilgrimages.com/shrineofstrita for our trip.
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ANNOUNCING OUR 2015 PEACE AWARD RECIPIENT Congratulations to
Fr. Douglas McKay
Diocesan Priest of Philadelphia
"Even at our most desperate, the Lord can
make us into something beautiful."
Father Douglas McKay has been walking the streets of Grays Ferry for 30 years, ministering to the drinkers, the druggies and the sick of spirit. Fr. McKay is a sturdy-shouldered man with a peaceful smile. Growing up he earned the reputation of being one of Grays Ferry's better street fighters and worked as a janitor before finding his vocation in a neighborhood tavern.
“I looked around one night,” he says, “and asked myself if this is where I wanted to spend the rest of my life.” The neighborhood supported his calling to the priesthood, subsidizing his seminary tuition by passing jars in the pubs and holding fundraisers in the parish hall. As a young seminarian in the 1970s, Father McKay would return to Grays Ferry to “make the rounds,” which could mean pulling alcoholics out of the bar, getting a homeless guy a sandwich and a warm place to lie down, or washing and feeding a dying old man. At night, when Father McKay would finally make it back to the seminary, he would kneel below Christ on the cross and cry.
“I realized the suffering of Jesus in the suffering eyes of the people of Grays Ferry," he says. It was Jojo who taught him about Christ's mercy. Jojo was a neighborhood guy, a mess-up who took drugs, lost his wife and kids, and stole. But here he was on his deathbed so excited, giddy even, because he knew he was going to heaven. He was positive of it. Jojo had repented and he was at peace. As Jojo lay dying, he wondered if God had a garden in heaven because he would take care of it just like he took care of his aunt's garden in Grays Ferry. So Father gave him communion and Jojo said, “I can't wait,” and then died with a smile on his face. And that's how Father McKay learned the true extent of Christ's forgiveness. “There is no place I feel holier than on the streets of Grays Ferry,” he says. As the neighborhood began to deteriorate, drug use and despair led to a rash of teenage suicides. 8
According to statistics compiled by the Grays Ferry Community Council, 13 neighborhood kids either overdosed on drugs or committed suicide during a four-year period in the late 1990s. Father McKay would be called to bless the bodies and minister to grieving families. “Hangings, mostly, or else they'd shoot themselves,” he says, his voice falling low. “Always in a violent way, like they felt shame and wanted to punish themselves.”
In response to the suicides and soaring drug use, Father McKay bought and renovated, with the community's help, two row homes on the 1400 block of 29th Street. Father McKay had holy cards printed up that he could pass out during his walks. They quote Matthew 11:29: “Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you.” He opened the homes as a gathering place for neighborhood young and old people battling addiction and depression. Father McKay will sit for hours at the kitchen table offering spiritual guidance or personal advice. He's counseled grieving parents who lost children to suicide. He's led group meetings for teenagers burying their friends from drugs. He
even gave shelter and food to a man who tried to mug and beat him in front of St. Gabriel's.
“He is a light in the dark of this neighborhood,” said a man praying at Father McKay's house the other afternoon. “He lifts people up and gives them hope.”
“We've had many blessings over the last few years,” says Father McKay of his ministry's accomplishments, which include helping neighborhood kids into drug rehab centers and raising money to help poor families pay rent and school tuition.
That Thursday night, 12 people gather for Mass in the small, comfortable living room chapel in the 29th Street houses. During his homily, Father McKay talks of St. Maria Goretti, a 12-year-old girl who on her deathbed prayed to God to forgive the man who stabbed her. The murderer had a vision of the Blessed Mother, repented and upon his release from prison lived a holy life as a priest. “You see,” says Father McKay, his arms opened to the audience. “Even at our most desperate, the Lord can make us into something beautiful.” Story from Philadelphia City Paper, writer Mike Newald
HOLD THE DATE!
2015 Annual Peace Award Banquet Friday, May 1st, 2015 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM Popi’s Restaurant, So. Phila.
Always a heartwarming night! Come & Meet Fr. Doug! 9
TEAM MANNO: ST. RITA, ST. AUGUSTINE & DON’S FAMILY
…A STORY ‘in thanksgiving’ TO ST. RITA! BY DON MANNO
SHORTLY AFTER THE F.B.I. RAIDED MY LAW OFFICE in May of 2008 looking for evidence on a client, I started carrying a St. Rita holy card. It wasn’t until November 1, 2011 that the ordeal got serious. I was indicted, arrested
I WAS kneeling BEFORE THE RELIC
OF St. Rita IN THE SHRINE AND SUDDENLY
I felt EVERYTHING WOULD be ok
and charged with serious crimes that if proven would have put me in jail for the rest of my life. As a criminal defense attorney for more than 30 years, I chose to represent myself with the help of my family and St. Rita. I needed them both.
For the next almost three years, the stress was intense. Now St. Rita was always with me in court. With her holy card in my pocket and a small statute in my brief case, I set out to prove my innocence. Out of court I would visit the shrine as much as possible asking for her prayers. 10
She and St. Augustine gave me the words and strength to carry on in a six month ordeal of a trial in federal court. At one point in the middle of the trial I was kneeling before the relic of St. Rita in the shrine and suddenly I felt everything would be ok. Trusting that feeling was not always easy, especially when I would wake up around 4:00 a.m. I believe she continued to understand and pray for me.
Of course we pray for divine intervention to relieve us from our difficult times. But we pray for it as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane. “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39. St. Rita is not a magic wand that we can wave to solve all our problems; but she is a powerful force to pray for us to accept God’s plan for us with peace and dignity, no matter how painful it seems as we are going through it.
God will see us through any difficulty and St. Rita will help us to understand that simple truth.
On July 3, 2014, after 11 days of deliberation, the jury announced not guilty verdicts to all of the charges against me. While I will always have the scars from the experience, the ordeal for me and
the entire family was finally over. In the final analysis it made me a better person, closer to God and my family.
I am reminded of the words in the prayer to St. Rita: “We promise, if our petition is granted, to glorify thee by making known thy favor, to bless and sing thy praises forever.” My life was given back to me. I will always strive to make known her favor, bless and sing the praises of St. Rita. Her prayers are always generously given and powerfully received by the Lord our God.
Excerpt from story at ‘Philly.com’, 08-08-14, Kevin Riordan, Inquirer Columnist: …But Manno intends to keep working. “I'll die with my boots on,” he says, adding, “Criminal defense lawyers are not there to help criminals. They're there to make sure that everybody, no matter how they're perceived, gets their constitutional rights.”
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Banners ON Broad Street Promotional Fundraiser
HELP US TO EVANGELIZE about St. Rita & Her National Shrine
22 SOLD OUT!
We’re Adding 6 More Banners Due to Popular Demand!
Call 215-546-8333 ext.12
THANK YOU to Friends of St. Rita’s & Parishioners! The first group of 22 banners sold so quickly, we are adding 6 more! Banners will be hung from April, 2015 to September, 2015. Please consider joining in on this amazing evangelizing project about St. Rita of Cascia and The National Shrine of St. Rita. Consider having a banner made for your special intention and you can be part of the next group of banners to be hung on Broad St. on the street blocks closest to the Shrine in So. Phila. This is an ongoing fundraiser for the Shrine. Join us and help to promote St. Rita and St. Rita’s!
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9’ X 4’ banner, colorful, hung from light poles, readable on both sides Your memorial may be up to 39 characters; spaces & commas count Choose your question based on St. Rita’s virtues from our list of choices Banner will hang for at least 6 months on Broad St. around the Shrine Call the Shrine at 215-546-8333 ext.12 to hear more
WE
promise, IF OUR PETITIONS ARE granted TO MAKE KNOWN
AND TO
your favor,
glorify God FOR HIS GIFT!
EXCERPT FROM ST. RITA NOVENA
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Your Word TO Us
i n THANKSGIVING THANK YOU for your prayers and good wishes am glad to have Mother Rita as a role model for me and my teachers. Marie Rita's Nursery school was opened in September 2009 in a small local community where most children have a single parent and are less opportune to have good education background, so one day as it was planned by God, I thought of helping these innocent children by teaching them to read and write, reciting poems and dramatizing bible story and life stories. Later on I went to the education ministry to ask for permission to operate this as a nursery school and most parents were happy about this decision and they start to enroll their children, so I said to myself I need people to help me take this ministry seriously. I began looking for people to help and sponsor these children and within 6 years, I was able to achieve sponsorship for 40 children. Today the school population is 125 children from ages 3 to 7 years of age, and 7 facilitators. It is so amazing, I thank God for hearing my prayers and your prayers as well, my dream is that ALL CHILDREN HAVE SPONSORSHIP so that they will be happy like others. Am always on the internet looking for people who can help but one day God will make a way. Thank you Sister in Christ, - Marie Jarju, Republic of Gambia, West Africa, 8/6/14
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I ALWAYS THANK ST. RITA and thank you for answer-
ing my questions on the phone and for the pictures of St. Rita. Mom says we can come to visit the church soon. This is my clay model of St. Rita. Please say a prayer because she is starting to crack and I still have 2 weeks before she needs to be handed in. The reason why I chose St. Rita for my school project was because I'm the 4th generation who believes and prays to St. Rita. My Great Grandmother and Grandmother and Mother attended St. Rita's church for the Feast Day every year. My 74 year old Grandmother, who had a devotion to St. Rita since she was 5 years old, attended St. Rita's feast day mass 2 yrs. ago and asked St. Rita to help my Great Grandmother to accept the fact she was in a home for Sundown Dementia. An hour after my Grandmother left St. Rita's Church, she received a call saying my Great Grandmother had passed. We believe it was St. Rita's way of telling my Grandmother that my Great Grandmother had accepted being in a home.
- Marissa M., Aston PA, 11/8/14
WE THANK ST. RITA every day. I had a beautiful healthy baby girl we named Sarah. She is 2 months old today, her Christening Day. I thank you for your prayers at the Shrine. Here I am with my four children and my husband, Bernard. Shannon is 15, Bernard is 12 and Alisha is 5. Everything is going good and I hope you are well. God bless.
- Annie Stokes, Liexplip, So. Ireland, 10/25/14
SENDING APPRECIATION for your prayers and your continued efforts to make known the mission of St. Rita. Update! In early June I requested prayers for our friend Rudy Recla who had fallen from his roof Memorial Day weekend and was in a coma. I ordered the St Rita prayer card and oil to be sent to his wife Carol and she began saying the prayer and blessing his eyes. He was transferred to Helen Hayes Rehabilitation Hospital in Haverstraw, NY and the family was told that if he didn't respond by last week he would have to be admitted to a nursing home. On Wednesday his parish priest was visiting him and when praying and talking to him, Rudy opened his eyes and started speaking and reached to shake hands when the priest was saying goodbye. Since then he has become completely himself, recognizing everyone, carrying on conversations and wanting to go home! He will stay there three weeks for continued physical rehab. - Agnes Taylor, NY, 7/20/14
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ST. RITA HAS HELPED ME very much by helping
me to be patient and trust in God. On some of the hardest days that I have had, I have been shown God's kindness and I thank St. Rita. About three months ago my husband told me he no longer wanted to be with me after many years of marriage and three children. I was devastated. I've been praying to St. Rita for guidance and for her to intercede with my husband and help us heal our marriage. Well, that hasn't happened quite yet but he has reached out to me on a few occasions and we are starting to talk again. I'm not sure what caused him to not want to be with me, but I know that he is struggling as well. St. Rita knows I love my husband as she loved her husband and my children as well.
- M. Martin, Orlando, FL, 10/09/14
GOD BLESS YOU, and thank you for
being in my life's path. I made it to St. Rita Shrine this week finally after finding your shrine on-line in November, 2011. I enjoyed meeting Fr. Joe & Deborah, after corresponding with you for my prayer requests recently. I experienced something that I never experienced in my life. I have been on a journey these past 16 months with my baseball bat that may have been used in the 1914 World Series… the research for the history of the bat was one of the reasons for my trip to your area, the other was to make a pilgrimage to the St. Rita Shrine. I always felt that St. Rita was guiding me with this bat, things happened one after the other and they were all placed in front of me. I can't explain the feeling I had when Fr. Joe told me that many consider St. Rita to be the Patron of Baseball. I never knew this to be so, and to hear that from him that day we met, at first it didn't embrace me but later I started to cry while I was in her shrine. Afterwards, when I got to the airport and had a chance to ‘Google’ the reference Fr. Joe gave me on St. Rita and the movie “The Rookie,” something came over me, which I could not explain. I had goose bumps from my feet to top of my head and I sensed a peace coming over me. After all this when I got home safely 16
and later into the evening I looked up my old emails, because I wanted to know when I purchased the bat. It was on May 18th, on a Saturday thru EBay.
The bat arrived in my home either May 22nd, her Feast Day, or 23rd of 2013, to my understanding. I could not believe it. I could tell you this because of the faith you have and understand. I told my wife, kids and friends that I felt that St. Rita was blessing me with this bat, without knowing that she was the Patron Saint of Baseball. I truly believe and know this is the bat used by Johnny Evers in the 1914 World Series played October 8th and 9th in Philadelphia. I have enclosed the photo of Johnny Evers holding the bat and also the newspaper article from the Troy record, here in Florida.
Another miracle that happened with me and St. Rita was that one day I was looking on Ebay to buy a bat and I came across one I did purchase. Something told me to look at the other items the person was selling, and to my surprise he was selling a statue of St. Rita. I asked him how he got it and he replied that it was left in one of the apartments he rents by a tenant. I did end up getting it from him this past March, and gave it to Maria, the nurse who started a wound care practice with me. At the time I felt she needed the statue more than me. Maria was about to have a kidney transplant on April 28th and her 21 year old daughter was the donor. When I gave the statue to Maria I told her that St. Rita was going to be there with her during her operation and to pray to her. I remember praying to St. Rita in the waiting room. Today Maria and her daughter are well and both healthy. Maria has another daughter who was born on May 22nd, St. Rita’s Feast Day! All were thankful for the intercession of St. Rita and her powerful prayers that helped Maria survive her kidney transplant!
- Andy, Parkland, FL 9/19/14
NEEDLESS TO SAY, my wife and I are very grateful to St Rita and all of the Saints for assisting us in our time of need. My original prayer request back in early August that I emailed to the shrine was to find a position with normal weekly hours so I will have Sundays free for church and evenings with my family. At the time I was working Sundays, weekends and evenings. Thank you so much for your prayers and wonderful email. After many prayers I have been offered a position with an excellent, well established company in my preferred line of work, with Monday through Friday hours of 7:00 am to 4:00 pm! I did have to start at a lower salary than my current position but I know God will provide and the money will be there when needed.
- Frank Twenter, Winter Park, FL, 10/14/14 17
Update from 2014 Spring Peacemaker Issue & ‘Your Word to Us’: THANK YOU for all your ongoing love,
support and prayers to St Rita, for all the prayers from your community and for all the prayers from everyone who read our story in your beautiful magazine. Things for mum were unchanged for a long time, with rejection of my dad’s kidney he donated to her still present and fortnightly visits to the hospital. Doctors removed her para thyroid gland to see if the calcium level would drop and decrease the rejection. Mum then had another kidney biopsy. Thursday dad received a phone call from the specialist with the most exciting news we have had in almost a year now! Finally there is no rejection present anymore!!! Finally things have settled and there were tears of joy for us all tonight! We all mentioned you and mum reminded me 3 times to make sure I emailed you. I am coming to the U.S. and will be in the state of Maryland. My plan is to make a pilgrimage to the shrine to meet you! - Lisa Taliana, Australia, 10/15/14
IT IS A FACT that devotion to Saint Rita has spread,
and is still spreading, with an explosive force, without too many avenues of transmission apart from the people themselves and without promotional publicity. She is not a saint who gave birth to a new spiritual movement. She did not write books of deep spirituality that might have helped promote knowledge of her spirituality and thus gain esteem for her, nor did she establish any charitable works with which her name is identified. Nonetheless, this saint of silence and apparent inactivity, this saint who, humanly speaking, had nothing that would attract us to her except the fact that her entire life was marked by pain and suffering, a fact which might provide an element of identification with some people, is loved by those who feel that she is close to them and who trust in her intercession.” 18
- Fr. Agostino Trape, 1983
Memorials & Engravings WE
promise, IF OUR PETITIONS ARE granted TO MAKE KNOWN
AND TO
your favor,
glorify God FOR HIS GIFT!
EXCERPT FROM ST. RITA NOVENA
Annual Candle Memorial (right): name is placed around a candle in the lower crypt to remain lit for one year. $150 Engraving in Marble (right): name is engraved on the prayer rail surrounding the base of St. Rita sculpture in lower crypt. $5000
Brass Plate Engraving (left): name is added to a brass plate of memorials hung on the walls in lower crypt. $250
Engraving in Granite (right): name is engraved in granite hung on the wall near the bronze relief of Christ in lower crypt. $1000
Thank You St. Rita
for everything you do for the world! You are a magnificent Saint! I am planning to revisit the Shrine
over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and will continue to give thanks to St. Rita for all of her blessings.
I have always been a devout Catholic ever since I was a little girl. My confirmation Saint was St. Therese the Little Flower who I have always had a deep devotion to ever since I can remember. In 2006, I visited my parents in Philadelphia and then took a drive to South Philadelphia near the Broad and Washington area. I saw a Church but had no sense of what kind of Church it was. As I drove closer to the Church, I saw that it was St. Rita’s Shrine. From the moment I went into the Shrine, my heart and soul were moved. It was such a beautiful experience for me; I was moved to tears, happy tears. The incredible sense of peace I felt is something that is very difficult to describe.
I have visited the Shrine many times since that first time in 2006 but something very special happened to me this year after I visited the Shrine for St. Rita’s Feast day. As a nurse leader, I have always tried to offer a listening ear to nurses and staff who worked in adverse situations but honestly had never experienced this myself until earlier this year. I found myself in a situation where I was on the receiving end of abusive supervision. I have read about abusive supervision. I have lectured on lateral violence, incivility, and bullying but have never really experienced such mistreatment before. My role was always to be the person to manage conflicts between others, and I must say that I was in a situation where I could not find a way to stop what was happening. I always say adversity makes one stronger, and that is what I kept telling myself until I just could no longer endure the mistreatment. I prayed to St. Rita during the novena and Feast day for relief. When I returned to my home state of Florida after the Feast day, I made up my mind that I would resign from my position. Being the primary breadwinner in the household, this decision did not come easy, but I knew that I could no longer work in such adverse and unhealthy conditions. Money is not everything. God will provide. 20
On my first day back to work after visiting St. Rita’s, something wonderful happened. I received word from the nurse in charge that due to the nature of my duties, I was being transferred to another department where I could utilize my skills and experience. It was a relief beyond words. After attending the annual Feast day celebration in May, in past years I would not return again to Philadelphia until the Christmas holidays, but this year I revisited St. Rita’s Shrine over the Fourth of July weekend and then again on Labor Day weekend so that I could give thanks to St. Rita for her intercession. St. Rita is the Healer and Saint of the Impossible. This is just one of so many examples I could share of how St. Rita has impacted my life. Thank you St. Rita for everything you do for the world! You are truly a
magnificent Saint. I feel blessed to be a part of the Shrine and to have such a spiritual place to worship and find refuge (even for a short time) from life’s challenges. St. Rita gives me the strength to do the work that I do every day. A dear nurse friend recently gave me a DVD movie of the life of St. Rita. After watching all that St. Rita endured in her life, I have been inspired to gather a delegation of nurses from the Southwest Florida area to visit Philadelphia next September for the Pope’s visit. Part of our excursion will be to visit St. Rita’s Shrine! I have a sincere desire to share this wonderful center of peace with my nursing colleagues so that they can bring St. Rita back with them in their hearts, minds, and spirits. Denise McNulty, RN Philadelphia, PA & FL
Tell Us Your Testimony to Saint Rita of Cascia Visit us on-line at www.SaintRitaShrine.org
We only print testimonies with permission. Consider sharing your personal story. Others can benefit from your trials and difficulties.
“Let unbelievers know you [God] are the helper of the humble, the defender of the weak, and the strength of those who trust in you!” - Novena Excerpt
In St. Rita Basilica, Cascia Photo D. Binder
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In Thanksgiving
St. Peter’s Square, Italy, 2013, Photo D. Binder
Jesus Waits for Us with Open Arms
“Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking: if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.” - (Revelations 3:20)
The Great Danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt and the desire to do good fades. This is a very real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry and listless. That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life. It is not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ.
I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord. The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk. Whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that God is already there, waiting for us with open arms. Jesus, draw near to help me renew my relationship with you. Today I will… - Pope Francis
“Our Advent Journey With Christ In The Words of Pope Francis” edited by Steve Miller, 2014 22
Learn More
ABOUT St. Rita & Other Augustinian Saints Suggested Reading:
#1 Precious Pearl, by Fr. Michael Di Gregorio O.S.A., paperback, 72 pgs., $5.95
#2 Little Society of St. Rita Prayer Book, paperback, 56 pgs., $5 #3 Priceless Pearl of Umbria, by Peri, 174 pgs., 8 1/2” X 11”, color photos,$15
#4 Confessions of St. Augustine, autobiography, softbound, 418 pgs., $15
#5 St. Nicholas of Tolentino, by Fr. Michael Di Gregorio O.S.A., 60 pgs., $5.95
#6 St. Stephen Bellesini, by Fr. Michael Di Gregorio O.S.A., 152 pgs., $5.95 #7 St. Rita Novena, small booklet, 27 pgs., $1
Order online at www.SaintRitaShrine.org, by phone at 215-546-8333 Mail to: St. Rita Shrine, 1166 So. Broad St., Phila. PA 19146 Shipping: up to $10 - $3.50, $10 to $20 - $4.50, $20 to $30 - $5.50 Write check to National Shrine of St. Rita. Allow 2 wks. for delivery. Help us to promote St. Rita to others!
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WITH GREAT JOY WE ANNOUNCE St. Rita Shrine TO Receive
Habit OF St. Rita’s FROM Cascia! A
Fr. Mario DeSantis O.S.A., Shrine
Photos from Cascia
D. Binder
Director of the Basilica of St. Rita in Cascia, Italy and Mother Abbess of the Monastery of St. Rita in Cascia, have graciously granted our request to give our Shrine a habit of our beloved St. Rita! The habit has touched St. Rita’s body and is considered a relic. After the examination of St. Rita’s incorrupt body, which occurs every 7 years by the local Bishop in Italy, we will receive the habit here in the United States at the National Shrine of St. Rita in Philadelphia. Alleluia! Excitement abounds! Our deepest gratitude and appreciation to Fr. Mario and Mother Abbess for this act of kindness for our National Shrine. - Fr. Joe Genito O.S.A., Shrine Director, Phila.
The Joy of Your Lord
Blessed by God, you were a light in darkness through your steadfast courage when you had to suffer such agony upon your cross. You turned aside from this vale of tears to seek wholeness for your hidden wounds in the great passion of Christ. No, its price was not of this world, for you had no other treasure save Christ, to whom you had given your very self. You were not content with less than perfect healing, and so endured the thorn for fifteen years before you entered into the joy of your Lord. Inscription from the Original Casket of St. Rita 1457
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EVANGELIZING and
DEVELOPMENT
FOR THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF ST. RITA
DEAR FRIENDS OF THE SHRINE,
“In Thanksgiving,” I must pray to St. Rita! The year of 2014 truly closed as my most energizing and faith-driven time at the Shrine to date! This February 2015, I will begin my 9th year as an employee for my dear St. Rita, and what a boss she has been! Just when you think it’s almost impossible, she intercedes and asks Our Lord for the graces and blessings that bring the kind of inner peace which miraculously gives you the spiritual food, energy, ability and desire to want to do more for her, for Our Lord, for His gift of Faith!
We hope that you were able to read between all lines of this issue to see how powerful and enlightening the intercession of St. Rita can be for those who seek her unending and unmatchable assistance in prayer. We are thankful for the many devotees of St. Rita who continue to give us permission to share personal testimony & thanksgiving with you, in an effort to bring St. Rita closer to us, on this earth!
As you have read in these pages, the evangelizing and promotion of the virtuous life of St. Rita, and in turn, the Shrine, has been our very strong focus and will continue to be. We believe that through the dedication to direct our prayers and efforts this way, the financial rewards will come. We are encouraged by the Holy Spirit to provide an experience for pilgrims 26
to the Shrine that has the potential to rejuvenate the soul and bring peace to those who seek and are open to it.
We invite you to join us in prayer at the many services we have available & offer to you at the Shrine. Come for Daily Mass, Weekly Novena and Relic Veneration, a Day of Recollection & Retreat, a Special Blessing at our monthly Healing Mass, private prayer time in Adoration, Morning Prayer & Evening Vespers, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It’s all here, waiting for you. “In thanksgiving,” we pray!
Deborah Binder
Development Director
215-546-8333 ext. 12 ritashrine@aol.com www.SaintRitaShrine.org
PLAN A FULL OR HALF DAY RETREAT WITH US!
Pilgrims will
pray learn & contemplate
the virtues of St. Rita.
We Invite Groups of 20 to 50 pilgrims to...
experience Rita Tour of the Shrine
Retreat talk with an Augustinian Friar
about a virtue of St. Rita [full day retreat]
Private prayer & contemplation Sacrament of Reconciliation Mass and Adoration
Break out Session [full day retreat] Novena & Relic Veneration
We now provide lunch for full day retreats with three
delicious entrees to choose from. Gift Shop is open for
all retreats, half and full day.
For more information: 215-546-8333 ext. 10
Reservation form on-line at www.SaintRitaShrine.org
www.SaintRitaShrine.org
Mass, Blessing with St. Rita Oil, St. Rita Novena, Relic Veneration
St. Rita Philadelphia Novena of Healing Masses 3rd Sunday of the Month through May 1-2PM Confession, 2PM Mass Jan. 18, Feb. 15, Mar. 15, Apr. 19, May 17
St. Rita Shrine, Phila., pg. 27 • St. Rita Shrine, Italy, pg. 6-7
Making Pilgrimage
2015
Return service requested
1166 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19146
National Shrine Saint Rita of Cascia NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID LANSDALE, PA PERMIT NO. 491