Saint Rita of Cascia

Saint Rita (1381 - May 22 1457) was born at Rocca Porena in the Diocese of Spoleto (Spoleto), Italy. Her parents arranged her marriage, despite the fact that Rita repeatedly begged them to allow her to enter a convent. Rita's husband was a violent man and beat both Rita and her children. When Rita's two sons got older, they killed their father in retaliation for his frequent abuse of them during their childhood.

With her husband gone, she was able to become a nun and entered the monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene at Cascia at age 36 and stayed there untill her death in 1457. She was canonized on the 24 May, 1900.