But I remember as a young adult, I chanced upon a movie about St. Rita's life on TV during Holy Week. I really think there's merit to having a few tv channels and a limited selection of shows during Holy Week since it forces you to watch shows you wouldn't normally watch. Sadly, in this day and age wherein you have hundreds of cable channels, and you can watch anything you want at a click of a button, there's a slim chance for this kind of shows to make it to mainstream.
Anyway, St. Rita's feastday is celebrated on May 22, the day of her passing away in 1457. Our house help who experienced the town fiesta celebration this year (for the first time) mentioned that while tuned in to the radio, a listener asked why is Sta. Rita holding a skull. Good question. I never thought of looking that up ever. And since there's google now, there's no excuse not to find out. Haha...
To some of you who aren't familiar with Sta. Rita, here's probably the most popular depiction of her in a stampita.
For the statues, there are some which depict Sta. Rita holding a cross (sometimes with roses). One may mistaken her for St.Therese but the difference is Sta. Rita has a wound on her forehead. Some Sta Rita statues also hold a skull like this -
During a trip to Italy (St. Rita's home country) a few years ago, we were able buy a small Sta. Rita statue that is holding a cross. We we were asking the Italian vendors if they had the version with the skull but they weren't familiar with it so I'm not sure if the skull version is just in the Philippines. Anyway, after our house help raised the question, I just had to google and research about the skull! Haha...
I read several articles but I haven't found a direct answer on what the skull symbolizes but I found an aspect of Sta. Rita's life that has some connection to the skull.
There was a Franciscan friar named Blessed James of Mount Brandone who came to Cascia and preached about the sufferings of Jesus and he centered on the excessive sufferings of Christ caused by the crown of thorns. The words deeply moved St. Rita and overflowing with sadness and tears, she later prostrated herself at the foot of the crucifix and began to medidate on the pains of Jesus suffering from the crown of thorns which penetrated deeply into His sacred temples. With the desire to suffer some of the pain Jesus suffered, St. Rita asked Jesus to give her at least one of the 72 thorns of His crown of thorns. A thorn was thrust into Sta. Rita's forehead penetrating his flesh and skull, and leaving a wound that lasted for the rest of her life.
St. Rita was in her 60s when she got the stigmata and she bore it until she died in her mid-70s.
Another account states:
"... in some manner a huge thorn was thrust into her forehead so hard that it pierced the skull and remained there even beyond the rest of her mortal life. It was a most unusual form of stigmata .... It should be noted that St Rita is partially mummified, and her skeleton remains in tact after 550 years... in the sanctuary of the Basilica Di Santa Rita da Cascia. An examination of her skeleton with modern tools has verified that her forehead does indeed bear the marks of a deep thorn-like wound."
So perhaps the skull is a reminder of her suffering - the thorn which penetrated her skull. But I am just guessing. In the photo of the antique statue above, it does look like that there's some kind of of mark at the middle of the skull's forehead. Although I've also seen statues where the skull didn't have any mark. Anyway, I will update this post if ever I come across an official answer. :)
For those who don't know St. Rita, here's a gist of her life:
Margherita, nicknamed Rita, was born in 1381 in a village called Roccaporena near Cascia, Italy. In their dialect, Rita means "Pearl".
As a kid, Rita frequently visited the Augustinian nuns in Cascia, Italy and dreamt of joining them one day. However, she was betrothed (a custom during that time) to a man name Paolo Mancini. She obeyed her parents' will and married Mancini instead. They had twin boys.
Mancini was a watchman of their town. At that time, rivalries existed between 2 political factions and Mancini was often drawn into conflicts. His husband brought the tension to their home, his violent temper developed into brutality and he would kick, struck and abuse St. Rita.
One day, his husband was ambushed and killed. Rita feared that his teenage sons would avenge their father's death and in fact, overheard them talking about it. She prayed that her sons be spared from committing a grave sin and eventually, her sons died from natural causes (but they were able to repent and receive the sacraments before passing away).
Rita then tried to apply at the Augustinian convent to be a nun but was rejected several times. But instead of feeling bad, she persevered. Accounts say that one night, her favorite saints called her and accompanied her to the Augustanian convent. Even if all the doors of the convent were shut closed, she miraculously was able to enter the convent. When the nuns found her inside the convent the next day and Rita told them about the story, they were astonished and asked for forgiveness. She was 36 when she entered the convent.
She is known as the saint of the Impossible because there are several accounts in her life which manifested impossibility and also instances when she prayed for impossible requests that were granted. Here are some:
- When she was a baby, it is said that white bees swarmed around Rita while sleeping in her crib. The bees entered and exited her mouth but not stinging or harming her in any way. When she entered the convent, these stingless bees followed her. Up until this day, it is said that the bees (though no longer white) leave the convent during holy week every year and return on May 22, the feast of St. Rita.
- It is also said that once, a prioress asked her to pick up a dead stick, plant it and water it daily to test her patience. She obeyed and planted the dead stick and watered it every day for a year. Then leaves sprouted from the stick and became a bountiful grape vine in the convent garden. Today, almost 600 years later, it is said that the same grape vine remains bountiful. Every year some of these grapes are made into wine and sent to the pope, cardinals and various people across the state. The leaves are also dried and powdered and sent all over the world as relics to people who are suffering. There have been many cures reported due to use of the grape leaves.
- A few months before her death, a cousin visited St. Rita and asked her if she had any special requests. St. Rita requested for a rose from her parents' garden. The thing was, it was January then, it was winter and it was impossible for a rose to bloom! Nevertheless, her cousin went to the home of St. Rita's parents and found a beautiful red rose in full bloom in a leafless rose bush.
- On another visit and also during winter, she asked that figs be brought to her from a frozen fig tree located in a certain garden in Roccaporena. And just as she had described the fig tree, her cousin found 2 ripe and luscious figs that winter!
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| Photo source: National Geographic |
Oration To The Saint Of The Impossible
O excellent St. Rita, worker of miracles, from thy sanctuary in Cascia, where in all thy beauty thou sleepest in peace, where thy relics exhale breaths of paradise, turn thy merciful eyes on me who suffer and weep! Thou seest my poor bleeding heart surrounded by thorns Thou seest, O dear Saint, that my eyes have no more tears to shed, so much have I wept! Weary and discouraged as I am, I feel the very prayers dying on my lips. Must I thus despair in this crisis of my life? O come, St. Rita, come to my aid and help me. Art thou not called the Saint of the Impossible, Advocate to those in despair? Then honor thy name, procuring for me from God the favor that I ask. (Here ask the favor you wish to obtain.)
Everyone praises thy glories, everyone tells of the most amazing miracles performed through thee, must I alone be disappointed because thou hast not heard me? Ah no! Pray then pray for me to thy sweet Lord Jesus that He be moved to pity by my troubles and that, through thee, O good St. Rita, I may obtain what my heart so fervently desires.
(Pray the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father, three times.)
BTW, if you want to pay homage to the relic of Sta. Rita in the Philippines (yes, there's a relic here), you may visit the Sta. Rita Church in Pampanga. Sharing with you photos of the relic.
Every August 17, the anniversary when the relic arrived at the Sta. Rita Church, special masses throughout the day are celebrated and the relic is brought out to be kissed by devotees. But at any given day, you should be able to view the glass-encased statue of Sta. Rita bearing the relic inside the church.
To go to Sta. Rita Church, just take the Olongapo-Gapan Road (Subic-bound if you're coming from Manila). When you reach the intersection in Pampanga where there is a Caltex Station (on your left), Mary the Queen School (on your left) and the Provincial Hospital (on your right), turn right right after the Provincial Hospital. Go straight about 2 kms and when you reach the public market, turn right (this is the first street on your right). Go straight and after about 200 meters, you should see the Church on your left. Sunday masses at the Sta. Rita Church are at 5am, 630am and 830am.
