Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger | Diocese of Tucson website

The Shrine of Santa Rita, nestled between the tracks in Vail, Arizona, is preparing to celebrate its 89th anniversary. The milestone will be marked with a St. Rita of Cascia Festival, hosted by the St. Rita in the Desert Catholic Community.

Established in 1935 by Carolyn Beach, The Shrine of Santa Rita served as a spiritual refuge for railroad and Mexican farm workers in the area. Today, it stands as one of several historic buildings recognized by the National Registry of Historic Places in Vail. Other notable sites include the adjacent parish office building and the Old Post Office, which is currently undergoing renovation. Further information on Vail’s history and its historic buildings can be obtained from the Vail Preservation Society.

St. Rita of Cascia, born Margherita Lottie in 1381, is revered as the patron saint of impossible causes, mothers, marital problems, sickness, wounds, and abusive situations. Despite her desire to become a nun from an early age, she was married off at 12 years old to a man embroiled in civil strife – a common practice at that time. After enduring an abusive marriage for 18 years and losing her husband to violence from a rival family, she dedicated herself to dissuading her sons from seeking revenge.

Following her sons' deaths due to dysentery within a year – an answer to her prayers for them not to commit murder or mortal sin – Margherita finally fulfilled her childhood dream of joining a convent. She shortened her name to Rita upon becoming a nun and became renowned for her holiness and prayerfulness.

Four signs are said to mark St. Rita's sanctity: bees swarming around her mouth after baptism; grapes she tended at the convent still producing wine used by the Pope; receiving a stigmata on her forehead during Holy Week of 1442; and receiving a rose in full bloom during winter months before her death in 1452.

St. Rita of Cascia, the patron saint of St. Rita in the Desert, passed away on May 22, 1452. To honor her life and example, St. Rita in the Desert Parish is inviting the Vail and Rita Ranch communities to join them for High Feast Day festivities on May 22, 2024. The celebration will begin with a Mass at the St. Pope John XXIII Center, followed by a procession to the Shrine of Santa Rita where attendees can present red roses at the statue of St. Rita. The day will conclude with a family-style picnic dinner.

In anticipation of the Feast Day, a novena to St. Rita will be led by the Parish’s English and Spanish Legions of Mary at the Shrine of Santa Rita each night from May 13 to May 21.