Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad

Friends, the priest preaching this sermon is Fr. Michael DeGrogorio, OSA. Fr. Michael is the man who is responsible for establishing the National Shrine of St. Rita at St. Rita’s parish in Philadelphia. It is he who counseled a much younger version of myself all those years ago to ask St. Rita’s intercession and to be specific in my prayers. I began the first of many, many novenas and nine days later met my wife. When we married, it was in this magnificent church and Fr. Michael was there with us. His words about this great saint of the impossible are as moving as they are true.

She is not distant from us. She is very near to us and she is also near to Our Lord. He “graciously grants favors through her intercession which are considered impossible to human skill and effort” as the novena prayers say. By now you all know of my rabid devotion to her. I think it can be rightly said, and fellow devotees will correct me if I am wrong, that any who have found her – or rather whom she has found for God – are immediately drawn into her life and never let go.

This morning I awoke to a text from a friend, fellow blogger St. Louis Catholic, wishing me a happy feast day. This means I’m doing my job in spreading devotion to her. I went to confession at a church downtown. On my way out, I stopped to hold the door for a very expectant young mother and glanced down at the wicker basket in the gift shop. It was filled with those socks with the saints on them. The church was named in honor of St. Jude, Rita’s male counterpart in helping desperate souls. The socks at the top of the basket were of St. Rita. I laughed. The woman at the counter asked what was funny and I launched into ten minutes of the life of St. Rita. On my way back to my car I got an email from a regular reader who told me that he had been offering one of his intentions in his novena these past nine days for me and my family. Another dear friend sent me messages of prayerful union on this day. A priest-friend texted with links to celebrations of her feast from around the world. I cannot tell you all how much these things mean to me.

And what would mean even more? Learn from her. Learn her way of understanding, her way of resignation, her way of peace-making. In all she did and in every state in life, she pointed to Our Lord who so loved her as to give her one of His thorns. We should all be so blessed.

May God bless each of you and know that you continue to be in my novena prayers daily.

St. Rita of Cascia, pray for us!