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Life of Sister St. Rita of Cascia of the Order of St. Augustine (Classic Reprint): Advocate of the Impossible; Model of Maidens, Wives, Mothers, Widows and Nuns
.... advocate of the impossible; model of maidens, wives, mothers, widows and nuns.
This volume was published in 1916 and is a translation from the original Spanish.
From the book's Preface:
The "Lives of the Saints'' are only a part, but a precious part of
the Library of triumphant Christianity. The catalogue of the
"Lives of the Sains" is a long and holy one, so holy, indeed, that
it is called a litany, and is used as one of the public prayers of
the Catholic Church. On the shelves of this library are found
books whose pages relate not only the lives of Jesus Christ,
the King of Saints, and of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the Queen
of Saints, but also the story of those pious and holy men and
women whose lives were a signal proof that "God is wonderful
in His saints". The Church is a faithful custodian of the "Lives
of the Saints", of those books which contain the wonderful and
glorius deeds of her children who have lived and died in the odor
of sanctity. And she looks on every "Life of a Saint" as a guide
book pointing out the way to heaven to all Christians who are
only travelers on the way to their true home. After the Catechism there is no book more precious to the eyes of Mother
Church than a "Life of a Saint". Every age of the Church has
had its illustrious saint or saints, and the study of the life of any
saint will reveal the providence of God in the government of the
world, and especially the divine economy with regard to the
children of its Church. Not only are the saints, while living on
earth, the glory and ornaments of their birth-lands, but after
death their real characters become better known, and Mother
Church bestows upon them the highest honors within her power,
and, at her command, an entire world gives them their due
worship and veneration. It is the dearest wish of Mother
Church that her children should frequently read the lives of
the saints; by so doing they gradually become acquainted
with a select society to which, in a great measure, they will
be forced to raise the standard of their daily lives. Our Holy
Father St. Augustine is a striking example of what the reading
of the lives of the saints may do. A friend of his, Alpius by
name, gave him the life of St. Anthony the Abbot, Augustine
read it, and was so extremely affected by what he read,
that it was one main cause of his conversion. Looking down
the long calendar of saints, glancing carefully over the Church's
long honor-list of men and women, whose names were tahs-
manic in their days, we find no name crowned with a greater
halo of glory and veneration, than that of Sister St. Rita,
the humble Augustinian nun of Cascia, now worshipped and
venerated under the singular title of the Saint of the Impossible.
It is more than 450 years since St. Rita departed this life to be
united forever to her Lord and spouse Jesus Christ, and yet
her name is still held in benediction, not only among the faithful
of Italy, her native country, but also among the faithful of the
rest of Europe, who vie with the people of South and North
America, in honoring and venerating our illustrious Saint.
Among the many magnificent "Lives of St. Rita" written by
the Italian and Spanish Augustinians, we prefer that written
by our brother Religious, Father Joseph Sicardo.
This volume was published in 1916 and is a translation from the original Spanish.
From the book's Preface:
The "Lives of the Saints'' are only a part, but a precious part of
the Library of triumphant Christianity. The catalogue of the
"Lives of the Sains" is a long and holy one, so holy, indeed, that
it is called a litany, and is used as one of the public prayers of
the Catholic Church. On the shelves of this library are found
books whose pages relate not only the lives of Jesus Christ,
the King of Saints, and of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the Queen
of Saints, but also the story of those pious and holy men and
women whose lives were a signal proof that "God is wonderful
in His saints". The Church is a faithful custodian of the "Lives
of the Saints", of those books which contain the wonderful and
glorius deeds of her children who have lived and died in the odor
of sanctity. And she looks on every "Life of a Saint" as a guide
book pointing out the way to heaven to all Christians who are
only travelers on the way to their true home. After the Catechism there is no book more precious to the eyes of Mother
Church than a "Life of a Saint". Every age of the Church has
had its illustrious saint or saints, and the study of the life of any
saint will reveal the providence of God in the government of the
world, and especially the divine economy with regard to the
children of its Church. Not only are the saints, while living on
earth, the glory and ornaments of their birth-lands, but after
death their real characters become better known, and Mother
Church bestows upon them the highest honors within her power,
and, at her command, an entire world gives them their due
worship and veneration. It is the dearest wish of Mother
Church that her children should frequently read the lives of
the saints; by so doing they gradually become acquainted
with a select society to which, in a great measure, they will
be forced to raise the standard of their daily lives. Our Holy
Father St. Augustine is a striking example of what the reading
of the lives of the saints may do. A friend of his, Alpius by
name, gave him the life of St. Anthony the Abbot, Augustine
read it, and was so extremely affected by what he read,
that it was one main cause of his conversion. Looking down
the long calendar of saints, glancing carefully over the Church's
long honor-list of men and women, whose names were tahs-
manic in their days, we find no name crowned with a greater
halo of glory and veneration, than that of Sister St. Rita,
the humble Augustinian nun of Cascia, now worshipped and
venerated under the singular title of the Saint of the Impossible.
It is more than 450 years since St. Rita departed this life to be
united forever to her Lord and spouse Jesus Christ, and yet
her name is still held in benediction, not only among the faithful
of Italy, her native country, but also among the faithful of the
rest of Europe, who vie with the people of South and North
America, in honoring and venerating our illustrious Saint.
Among the many magnificent "Lives of St. Rita" written by
the Italian and Spanish Augustinians, we prefer that written
by our brother Religious, Father Joseph Sicardo.
184 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1993
63 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Sicardo
4 books2 followersAlso known as José Sicardo
The Rev. Father Joseph Sicardo, O.S.A., was a Spanish priest and author of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. His biography of St. Rita of Cascia: Saint of the Impossible was originally published in 1916 by D. B. Hansen and Sons, Chicago. Additionally, the work was translated by Fr. Dan J. Murphy, and is firmly based on the historical facts of the saint's life, as intended by the author. Father Sicardo's work was retypeset and reprinted by TAN Books in 1990, and also received the Cum Permissu Superiorum, Nihil Obstat, and Imprimatur upon publication.
The Rev. Father Joseph Sicardo, O.S.A., was a Spanish priest and author of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. His biography of St. Rita of Cascia: Saint of the Impossible was originally published in 1916 by D. B. Hansen and Sons, Chicago. Additionally, the work was translated by Fr. Dan J. Murphy, and is firmly based on the historical facts of the saint's life, as intended by the author. Father Sicardo's work was retypeset and reprinted by TAN Books in 1990, and also received the Cum Permissu Superiorum, Nihil Obstat, and Imprimatur upon publication.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 28, 2013
Her penance was amazing. I also find it interesting that she submitted herself to her parents to the point that she got married even though she was not sure that marriage was her vocation. And how marriage did not stop her from eventually living the religious life.
May 27, 2016
The parts of St. Rita's life that were hardest to read about were her extreme obedience to her parents, her prayer that God change her sons' desires or no longer spare their lives, and the worms she called her "little angels" as they crawled around her wound. Yikes. Saints are intense.
June 23, 2018
must read
if you like to know more about St Rita this is a good book to start. I bought this because in February 2018 she keeps popping on my head and I do not know anything about her. During the cruise at South America I met Fr Stephen Curry and asked him about his favorite saints and he replied of course St Augustine and St Ambrose because I am Augustinian he told me last March 7. Then I asked Him about St Rita because I dont have internet in the boat and I cant researched. He said St Rita is an Augustinian nun, so the moment I returned on the shore I decided to buy tbis book and read about her. This is an amazing biography. Truly I am amazed of her and I wish I could imitate her. I went to her in Cascia Italy in May 18, 2018.
All I read in this book I saw it with my own eyes. I was so happy. Thank you for this wonderful book.
if you like to know more about St Rita this is a good book to start. I bought this because in February 2018 she keeps popping on my head and I do not know anything about her. During the cruise at South America I met Fr Stephen Curry and asked him about his favorite saints and he replied of course St Augustine and St Ambrose because I am Augustinian he told me last March 7. Then I asked Him about St Rita because I dont have internet in the boat and I cant researched. He said St Rita is an Augustinian nun, so the moment I returned on the shore I decided to buy tbis book and read about her. This is an amazing biography. Truly I am amazed of her and I wish I could imitate her. I went to her in Cascia Italy in May 18, 2018.
All I read in this book I saw it with my own eyes. I was so happy. Thank you for this wonderful book.
April 9, 2017
St. Rita's life, especially her patience, self-sacrifice, and love of God are truly inspiring. It's good to know we have friends in Heaven like her! The writing style of the author was not my favorite, as he tended towards writing in lists, but it was a short read that has left me wanting to learn more about St. Rita, Saint of the Impossible.
February 19, 2025
Anyone who can intentionally live with maggots in their divinely-granted forehead wound in an effort to obtain eternal life probably deserves it. As usual with these accounts, the author's writing drips with praise to the point of alienation of the reader.
October 19, 2012
It contains all the basic information in St. Rita's life but makes her out to be a sinless and holy separating her, in a sense, from whatever made her human and broken.
I learned a lot about her life and what she experienced, but that caveat influenced my overall enjoyment of the book.
I learned a lot about her life and what she experienced, but that caveat influenced my overall enjoyment of the book.
March 19, 2014
Loved the message of St. Rita's story
May 14, 2023
I finished this book about my patron Saint just in time to start praying nightly novenas before her Feast Day this May 22.
I’m humbled by her story and truly amazed at all that she accomplished during (and after) her life.
I think she’s incredible and I’m so honored to call her my patron Saint.
Saint Rita, please pray for us! 🌹 🐝
I’m humbled by her story and truly amazed at all that she accomplished during (and after) her life.
I think she’s incredible and I’m so honored to call her my patron Saint.
Saint Rita, please pray for us! 🌹 🐝
September 16, 2022
A simple, although somewhat over-the-top, account of St. Rita's life and impact. This was clearly written by a man and reflects other early 20th century hagiographic accounts of the lives of women saints - as St. Rita never had a bad thought, never committed a sin, and never desired a man (which would have fit the previous two categories) but was otherwise a somewhat interesting account of her life. It would be nice to read a contemporary, more balanced, biography but unfortunately this seems to be the best I could find.
October 23, 2017
I knew the most well-known details of this saint but I know now I did not know the most significant details of her life. I often read saints lives but I have truly never read one like this. It seems some difficult suffering necessarily accompanies the life of a great saint, but this one rattled me. It has left me feeling a pilgrimage to Cascia is in order!
June 28, 2023
If you need a book to read to help you be more humble, patient with perseverance then this is the book.
I share these words from the book; “Rita, who carried sunshine and holiness as an atmosphere, had to undergo so many trials and sufferings.” really touch the deepest parts of my heart as it opens my own germinated wounds through greater love for the passion of Jesus Christ and being able to humbly express positive thoughts and feelings of gratitude every day even through such impossible suffering.
It is at times a difficult read but one that has brought me to realizing why I am here and why I be who I be in faithfulness to prayer, meditation, contemplation and a life of solitude.
xox
I share these words from the book; “Rita, who carried sunshine and holiness as an atmosphere, had to undergo so many trials and sufferings.” really touch the deepest parts of my heart as it opens my own germinated wounds through greater love for the passion of Jesus Christ and being able to humbly express positive thoughts and feelings of gratitude every day even through such impossible suffering.
It is at times a difficult read but one that has brought me to realizing why I am here and why I be who I be in faithfulness to prayer, meditation, contemplation and a life of solitude.
xox
August 21, 2025
Took me longer than expected to finish reading this due to circumstances that came up, but so glad that I was able to finally finish because I have definitely gained a deeper appreciation and understanding of St. Rita’s life.
I had picked her as my confirmation saint so many years ago and I can’t believe it took me this long to really go deeper into learning more about her life, her love for God and others, the miracles brought forth from her life, and much more!
I had picked her as my confirmation saint so many years ago and I can’t believe it took me this long to really go deeper into learning more about her life, her love for God and others, the miracles brought forth from her life, and much more!
November 10, 2025
I thought it was time to learn more about my confirmation Saint. I'm glad I read this. it was an easy read. I have the same complaint I do of other autobiographies and memoirs tho where they quote conversations. In this case, the book quotes some of St. Rita's prayers, which seems unlikely - was she speaking these out loud and someone transcribing while she was meditating?
January 17, 2022
First published in 1916, this classic shares the life of St. Rita, the saint of the impossible. She strove only for holiness. Amazing woman! St. Rita, pray for us selfish, me-centered humans distracted by all that does not matter. I really love her honeybees. Transformstive book.
March 22, 2025
I did not know much about St. Rita so I chose this book for our Church bookclub. Saints are so amazing! The mortification always bothers me as I can’t imagine that Christ desires us to do those things to our body, but many Saints did believe it proved their love and devotion. Well worth the read!
March 23, 2025
Started this book by praying the prayer to St. Rita at the end of the book as I felt that I was facing an impossible situation. The situation worked out better than I hoped for. I give thanks to St. Rita and her intercession.
July 16, 2020
Very informative biography of St. Rita. Loved the book.
May 31, 2025
A good book to read if you want to learn more about the life of St. Rita of Cascia and the many miracles that happened through her intercession.
November 17, 2014
She came to me for a reason
I chose the 5 stars because I have heard of her but never been interested in knowing about her. She came to me through Facebook. A quick look at her and a small amount of words made me find her biography. once found I read about her saintly life in awe. She was a perfect women of God. IT was perplexing perhaps but truly lived by a human being. I learned many things through reAding her biography, I pray I can use some of her ways to fulfill my life as it is.
I chose the 5 stars because I have heard of her but never been interested in knowing about her. She came to me through Facebook. A quick look at her and a small amount of words made me find her biography. once found I read about her saintly life in awe. She was a perfect women of God. IT was perplexing perhaps but truly lived by a human being. I learned many things through reAding her biography, I pray I can use some of her ways to fulfill my life as it is.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews