Winter 2014

PEACEMAKERThe

NATIONAL SHRINE SAINT RITA OF CASCIA

THe PeACeMAkeR

Winter, 2014 Publication of the national Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia

Shrine Director:

Fr. Joseph Genito, O.S.A.

Development Director and Editor:

Deborah binder, M.ed.

Photographer:

Fr. Daniel Mclaughlin, O.S.A.

Design:

accent communications, inc.

Printer:

Gerald O’neill

Contact us for a free subscription

national Shrine of St. Rita

1166 So. broad St., Phila. PA 19146

215-546-8333

www.SaintRitaShrine.org

ritashrine@aol.com

Shrine Hours of Operation:

Weekdays: 7:30 AM - 5:25 PM

Wednesday: 7:30 AM - 7:30 PM

Saturday: 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM

Sunday: 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Masses:­

Weekday: 8 AM, 12 PM

Wednesday: 8 AM, 12 PM, 7:00 PM

novena after all Masses on Wed.

Saturday: 8 AM, 12 noon, 5 PM

Sunday: 9 AM, 11 AM Masses

Confessions: Monday-Saturday

Eucharistic Adoration: Daily

SHRIne bOARD MeMbeRS:

Fr. Joseph Genito, O.S.A.Executive Director

Jay Agnes

edward Caruso

louis Cinquanto

Anthony DeCarlo

Fr. John Deegan, O.S.A.

Dina DellaDucata

bishop Michael Fitzgerald

Fr. Mickey Genovese, O.S.A.

Dominic liberi

Judge Timothy Rice

ISSUe THeMe:

“GOD’S HeAlInG JUSTICe”

St. Augustine, in his great work

on the Trinity, states that “true love

consists in loving the others either

because they are just or so that they

might become just.” Our theme

of “God’s healing justice” speaks

to the ways our ministry seeks

to promote justice by the practice

of loving others through service.

­­– Fr.­Joseph­A.­Genito,­O.S.A.

Cover Photo: Wooden St. Rita Statue, located

St. Rita Church in Racine, Wisconsin.

2

TAble OF COnTenTS

letter, Fr. Joseph Genito, O.S.A. 3

Our 2014 Peace Award Recipient 4

“View”, Fr. M. Di Gregorio, O.S.A. 6

Article, Fr. J. Deegan, O.S.A. 9

Article, William J. Farnon 12

“Your Word to Us” 14

blessed Mariano de la Mata O.S.A. 18

Article, Fr. P. Morrisey, O.S.A. 20

Pictorial of School 24

Development, Deborah binder 26

Back Cover: Christ’s Head, Sketch by Fr. Gene

DelConte O.S.A., Artist, Friar of our Shrine

deAr FriendS,

In the course of our salvation history, the notion of

God’s healing justice is often accompanied by great

trials, and by situations that challenge the faith of

those enduring those trials. The traditional “happy

ending” occurs after individuals or groups have

dealt with circumstances that are often bleak, causing them to

wonder if God indeed hears their prayers for justice.

The season of Advent is one of

waiting, culminating with the arrival

of the Savior, but his presence was

not immediately felt, even after his

public ministry and a scandalous

death that almost crushed the spirit

of his followers. But by his resurrec-

tion he prevailed, and the wisdom

of sticking with him and his teach-

ings breathed life into his followers

so that they could carry on his

work. They were eventually justified

in their faith by his resurrection. Our

liturgical year therefore reflects the

journey of each individual and the

community of believers, the prom-

ise of salvation concluding with the

triumph of the resurrection.

We begin a new era of the Shrine

with this first step, an era of

enhancing the knowledge of God’s

healing justice through the offering

of programs, services and spiritual

development to all people of every

denomination or no denomination.

Our partnership with such groups

as P.O.W.E.R., whose executive

director, Rev. Dwayne Royster, has

been selected as the recipient of

this year’s Peace Award, is but one

of what we hope will be many mutu-

ally helpful alliances with like-minded

people dedicated to restoring right

relationships between human

beings. When justice prevails,

hearts are healed and spirits uplifted

because all is right with the world, a

condition for which we all long.

Continue to pray with us that the

good work we hope to accomplish

in the Cascia Center will be able to

begin as soon as possible and

continue to grow and flourish as it

becomes a beacon of hope and

justice for all.

wOrdSfromFATher JOe

3

Fr.­Joseph­A.­Genito,­O.S.A.Shrine Director

4

Reverend dwayne Roysteris the bishop of Living Water Church

of the United Church of Christ (UCC)

located in North Philadelphia.

Bishop Royster has been an active

proponent of peace and justice

from the very beginning of his

ordained ministry and has in recent

years assumed the Executive

Directorship of P.O.W.E.R.

(Philadelphians Organized to

Witness, Empower and Rebuild), a

community organizing group aimed

at engaging people on the level of

their passions and interests to rally

their neighborhoods in support of

worthy causes.

Among those causes which Bishop

Royster is directing are living wages

for city employees, justice for the

school system, and a compassion-

ate and just means of addressing

immigration issues.

It is estimated that 28% of

Philadelphians live at or below the

poverty level, making it the poorest

of the nation’s ten largest cities.

Bishop Royster has stated, “Without

a strong, fair living wage standard,

our city is subsidizing large corpora-

tions and having to pay more in the

end to provide safety net services

to workers who are paid too little to

be self-sufficient.”

Another important issue facing

Philadelphia is the cut-back in

school funding, resulting in the

loss of many auxiliary services

2014 Saint Rita Peace AwardAwARded to

Reverend DwayneRoyster

Christ with the Multitudes Preaching, Anthony Visco, St. Rita Shrine Artist

nATiOnAL Shrine OF ST. riTA

7Th AnnUAL PeACe BAnQUeT

necessary to keep the schools safe

and running efficiently. Bishop

Royster has joined with other

community leaders to demand

justice for the city’s children in

public schools.

P.O.W.E.R. to stand up against voter

suppression and the Pennsylvania

voter ID law, launching the “Let My

People vote” Campaign to stand up

for the rights of almost 800,000

Pennsylvanians who have been

disenfranchised by this law.

A more significant issue for South

Philadelphians, however, is that of

immigration reform and the fair

treatment of the many immigrant

groups who have settled in this part

of the city. Bishop Royster is in the

forefront, leading P.O.W.E.R. in its

COme And meeTreverend dwAyne rOSTerand hear more about his ministry

during an evening of great food and

fellowship with others concerned

about peace and justice in our city!

Friday, may 2, 2014

Call the Shrine for Tickets at

215-546-8333

quest to help those who are most

vulnerable, the poor and powerless

immigrants looking to avoid the

fragmentation of families through

deportation.

Bishop Dwayne Royster has proven

himself an effective advocate for

justice for the poor and a profoundly

authentic proponent of fostering

the principles of love and care for

the poor, the hallmark of the

Gospel of Jesus Christ, by his self-

less and tireless dedication. Saint

Rita’s is proud to recognize his

accomplishments and equally dedi-

cated to continuing our partnership

with him and P.O.W.E.R., of which

we are one of the founding and

contributing members, by awarding

him the Peace Award for 2014.

...AN ACTIvE proponentOf peace AND justice

Dwayne is “Committed to the four biblical principles of redemption,

restoration, renewal and refreshment!” 5

Rev. Dwayne

mAny PeOPLe

are familiar with

the great tragedy

that touched the

life of young Saint

Rita, when her

husband was

slain and her

sons swore revenge for their father’sdeath. Many have been inspired byher generous response to this doubleheartbreak, and so have found guid-ance, hope, and courage in facing

hardships of their own. forgiveness,and the recommendation of forgive-ness, were her firm resolve in this

time of difficulty. for Rita, it seems,it could not have been otherwise!

This does not mean to say that shewas not free to decide differently,

and it surely does not suggest thatforgiveness was an easy choice forher. But it was the right choice, theobvious choice, not because it wasthe popular one — quite the contrary— as the very different decision of

her sons suggest. It was, however,the proposal of the Gospel, — “forgive,and you shall be forgiven (Lk 6, 37)…offer no resistance to injury …turnthe other cheek (Mt 5, 38-39) …notseven times but seventy times

seven times (Mt 18, 22).”

The heALinGthat COmeS

FrOm TrUTh

VIeW FROM MY HeAR T bY FR. MICHAel DI GReGORIO O.S.A .

Rita had been raised by parents who

believed this teaching, and who

practiced their belief in very concrete

terms, not only in the privacy of their

home, but in the very public arena

of social life, as they served as

agents of reconciliation among their

neighbors. As a result, Rita did not

grow up hearing the Gospel as

a command to be observed; she

witnessed it as a way of life to be

embraced. If violence and vengeance

were then, as now, recurring, unhappy,

features of civil society, 15th Century

Roccaporena was fortunate to have,

at least, some clear examples

offered by devout Christians showing

how to deal with such realities in a

positive way.

This part of the story should not be

forgotten.

There are teachings in the Gospel

which can surprise or even trouble

us because they seem to contradict

what we judge to be common sense,

or appear to be far beyond human

capabilities. To follow the teachings

of Jesus conveyed in the Gospels

that we reflect upon Sunday after

6

Sunday, indeed day after day, is

never an exercise in simple obedi-

ence to what we profess. It is,

rather, the expression of a convic-

tion that Jesus holds the words of

life, that in following his truth, his

wisdom, we become truly free.

Justice is sometimes defined simply

as the quality of being right or cor-

rect. God’s justice instructs us pre-

cisely in how to live correctly, how to

walk the path that is truthful, accu-

rate, consistent with our identity,

purpose and life goals. Rita firmly

believed this, and acted accordingly

in a moment of great crisis, when

the complexity of life’s events

required a decision that would be

shaped not by passion or impulse,

but by fidelity to her deepest convic-

tions. We, who are able to look back

upon the long term consequences

of Rita’s choice, know the rightness

of it. Though the path may not have

been easy, it was lifegiving, bringing

peace to Rita, an end to the hostility

that had kept families divided, and

an example to men and women

ever after.

If only we can be similarly guided,

in the complex circumstances of

our lives and our world, to act upon

the wisdom of Christ’s message

with a conviction like that of Rita,

that is born of faith and trust, and

confirmed by the experience of men

and women who have done so

before us and reaped the rewards

that followed. In dark, difficult,

moments we especially need light.

Unfortunately, in the darkness we

may too easily or quickly be distracted

by a passing spark or flashing glim-

mer, rather than the full bright beam

that Jesus reveals. To follow a dim-

mer light might lead us to greater

difficulty, while following the Light

who is Christ will bring us healing.

–­Fr.­Michael

Fr. Michael DiGregorio O.S.A. was

Director of our shrine from 1992 to

2007. He created the “Peacemaker”

magazine as a nationwide communica-

tion between the Shrine & devotees of

St. Rita. Fr. Michael completed his

6-year term as Vicar General to the

Augustinian Order in Rome, Italy this

Fall, and returned to the U.S.

“...GOD'S justice INSTRUCTS US PRECISELy

IN hOW TO LIvE correctly..."7

8 Artist Unknown

9

GOd’S healing JUSTiCeBy Fr. JACk deeGAn, O.S.A.

“The alien living with you must be treated as one of

your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you

were aliens in egypt.” (Leviticus 19:34)

The plight of the immigrant has always been a difficult

one as we see from the above quote from Leviticus. The

crisis of immigration is a reality in our own country. Deep

divisions among people of good faith have been brought

to light as we try to change a policy that has caused

much sorrow and, in some instances, destroyed the family

unit. how can we bring God’s healing justice to bear on

this issue?

Pope francis, in one of his daily homilies, said this:

“…Today amid so much darkness, we need to see the

light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope

to others.”

In my work for justice and peace, I and many volunteers

for ADROP (Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the

Poor) have tried to address the needs of the marginalized.

One need identified was primary health care for those

who could not afford health insurance. Many of our

clients are undocumented persons who have lived in

Philadelphia for several years and have been contributing

members of their community and good and loving parents.

But they live in fear of deportation. One such client who

volunteered as an interpreter for our health clinic, was

notified one morning that her husband had been picked

up at a day labor site, shipped to Texas and would be

deported within several days. She also told me that she

“...SEEk TO PROMOTE A COMPASSIONATE societyWhERE ALL hAvE A place AT ThE table Of PLENTy.”

10

had just been diagnosed with

breast cancer. Consider her plight:

the bread winner for the family is to

be deported, the mother has cancer

and the children were in danger of

being left without parents. Where is

the healing justice in this family’s

journey? This is just one of the

many stories that could be told of

the crisis in our immigration system.

I wonder what St. Rita, and, indeed

what Jesus would do in this situa-

tion. more to the point, i wonder

what we as the Body of Christ,

should be doing to bring healing

and reconciliation to the many who

have been victims of laws that are

no longer just and right in the sight

of God.

The United States Conference of

Catholic Bishops has called for a

Comprehensive Immigration law

that would be fair, just, protects the

unity of the family and provides a

path to citizenship. Most of us are

descendants of those who came to

the United States looking for a better

life for themselves and for their

children. Today, we seem to have

forgotten our origins. We see immi-

grants as a threat to our way of life

and our financial security. Some

would send the 11 million undocu-

mented back to their country of

origin even though they are our

neighbor and a productive member

of our community.

Should not the Christian seek to

promote a compassionate society

where all have a place at the table

of plenty? Are there not unjust

structures that keep our friends

and neighbors in the darkness of

fear as they try to do what is

required of them to become citizens?

how do we respect the integrity

of creation, especially human

creation, if we do not honor the

dignity of all of God’s creation?

St. Rita always sought to bring out

the best in people. She wanted to

enter into dialogue with those who

would solve their disagreements

through violence. She longed for

reconciliation between warring

factions and families and prayed

constantly that her sons would

not resort to violence to avenge

the murder of their father.

what lessons can we learn from

rita as we strive to welcome the

alien amongst us into our commu-

nity? One lesson which we all can

learn is to not rush to judgment

and put all undocumented persons

in one basket. each journey is dif-

ferent and personal. The undocu-

mented want what you and I want:

to be respected and given the dignity

due to all of God’s creation. They

seek the unity of their family as St.

Rita did as she struggled to recon-

cile the warring factions among her

family and relatives. And through

prayer and patience she counseled

her sons and others not to seek

revenge but to seek peace through

dialogue and respectful listening.

Another lesson from Rita is to for-

give those who have injured us in

any way. Rita imitated the compas-

sionate and forgiving Christ as she

worked endlessly to bring the heal-

ing touch of God to the people who

GOD’S HeAlInG JUSTICe, (COn’T)

would stand in her way of following

her call to enter religious life. Gently

and with persistence, she made her

case to become a sister and by her

actions and example won over

those who, at first, thought her

unworthy of admittance to religious

life. Rita was, in a certain sense, an

alien in the foreign land of religious

life. But, through her calming pres-

ence, she brought love to the convent

and the sisters learned to love her

as they loved themselves.

In our day, too many have become

wanderers through life, their worlds

upset by war, violence, hatred, prej-

udice of all types, and laws that no

longer reflect the healing justice of

God. we need to pray for the heal-

ing justice of God that it might

spring up in our day and wash

away our sins of injustice towards

those who are voiceless and

marginalized.

… true love,consists in lovingthe other either

because they are justor so that they mightbecome just.

– Saint auguStine

“

“As Pope francis said in a daily ser-

mon:” Please let us be protectors…

to protect creation, to protect every

man and woman, to look upon

them with tenderness and love is to

open the horizon of hope. It is to let

a shaft of light break through the

heavy clouds… Let us protect Christ

in our lives, so that we can protect

others, and protect creation.”

Fr. Jack Deegan

O.S.A. was

ordained in 1961.

He was President

of Merrimack

College, after

several positions

at the high school

and college level.

He founded the Augustinians Defenders

of the Rights of the Poor in 2003.

11

in 1980, the first contingent of Gregory and Martha Nguyen's family

arrived in Phila. It consisted of a brother of Gregory, the brother's wife and two

children, and four nephews. These eight were part of the “boat people” who

fled their country in 1979 in small boats. They were thankful to have been

rescued on the high seas by an American warship. Some other

vietnamese refugees were not so fortunate. Either their small

boats capsized, or pirates from nearby Cambodia

attacked them, or they were simply lost at sea.

The sponsorship of Gregory’s family by my wife

Christa and me could not have been accom-

plished without the help of a generous

ecumenical endeavor on the part of Catholic

Social Services, which arranged their travel

from a refugee camp in Malaysia, and

Lutheran Child and family Services, which

accommodated them for several months

before my wife and I were able to find a

house for them. Then, a group of fellow

parishioners assembled to clean, paint,

and completely furnish it.

After the 1975 defeat by the National

Liberation front or viet Cong, which for years

had received supplies from the Soviet Union,

hundreds of prisoners were sentenced to hard labor

in NLf prisons. Gregory, having been a lieutenant colonel

in the Army of South vietnam, was one such prisoner. his

sentence was ten years. Since the NLf had seized all his property, their

kindly pastor took pity on Gregory's wife and 11 children (the youngest was

five months old at the time of his father's arrest), and invited them to live in

the basement of the church.

In 1990 Gregory, his wife, and one daughter were permitted to come to the

United States as political refugees, under vietnam’s Orderly Departure

Program. By 2001, almost all the family had arrived in Phila., and have done

God’s healing Justice

12

Greg NguyenFRom St. RitA ShRine

By dr. wiLLiAm J. FArnOn

FoR the FAmily oF

quite well. Some of them have earned higher degrees. for instance, one of his

sons is a graduate of MIT; another has earned a master's degree in electrical

engineering from the University of Penn, and another is an engineer who

works in the U.S. Patent Office.

What the family accomplished was not done without hard work, however. The

outstanding scholastic records of those in middle school and high school

were earned by many hours of studying to become proficient in reading and

speaking English. family members who were old enough to be gainfully

employed would arise early in the morning to meet trucks that would take

them to farms in N.J. where they spent the day doing things like harvesting

crops by hand.

As time went on, a few of the young men were able to find entry-level jobs

at the Smithkline and french Pharmaceutical Company in Phila. This work

consisted of mopping floors, emptying office waste baskets into larger

containers, and taking these to the general pick-up area.

however, other employees who were doing the same kind

of work resented the vietnamese as intruders.

Nevertheless, they quietly persevered, and eventu-

ally found better jobs within the Company.

Prejudice of another kind manifested itself in

the immediate neighborhood of the Catholic

parish where the vietnamese first lived.

These parishioners belonged almost exclu-

sively to the same ethnic group, and many

of them looked down on anyone who was

so different from themselves as these

Asians were. None of them welcomed the

vietnamese to their neighborhood, nor did

they give them a friendly greeting or a smile

as they passed on the street. When my wife

and I learned that our vietnamese friends were

being regarded with suspicion, we were struck by

a salutary thought, and thought it worth pursuing.

As a result, two of the nuns from the parish accompa-

nied us on a visit to some of the neighbors. These folks

received us graciously and listened with amazement to the story

of what this vietnamese family had experienced. As word began traveling

throughout the neighborhood, smiles and friendly greetings began to multiply.

from the initial arrival of eight relatives in february 1980, Gregory and

Martha’s family now extends to more than sixty members. We thank God for

their presence among us. If the average American family would have the disci-

pline, the love of learning, and the religious fervor of this immigrant family, our

cities would all deserve the subtitle “The City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love”.

13

i’m PrAyinG dAiLy for St. Rita’s intercession in what seems at times like

an impossible situation. Two people who love and respect one another very

much, who share in each other’s brilliance and dedication to create a beau-

tiful art center for the mediter ranean between Alexandria, egypt and rome,

italy that will serve to promote and support young artists in this region who

so desperately need it and build lasting collaborations for understanding,

dialogue, and peace through artistic wor kshops, exhibits and events. It is a

great challenge though, to find the right institutional investors and to receive

the support we will need to do this. Many obstacles stand in the way, but we

are completely and deeply devoted to this endeavor. I hope we are both also

as devoted to each other as well. Love in work and life between cultures,

religions, different careers and with such distance require great understand-

ing and faith. i ask that you will keep us, Ammar and Angela, in your prayers

as we also both pray, each in our own way, for wisdom to know the way and

my FAmiLy wAS ABLe TO viSiT The Shrine. It was so

beautiful and a real hidden treasure to be sure! Our family

found such peace while there. my two sons know how to

behave, however i was just in awe of their reverence at the

Shrine, they too could feel it’s power and grace! At 6 and 4

there are times when being quiet is all they can stand, and

they were not only quiet but inquisitive and excited about all

we learned, in a respectful and loving way. We even were

able to spend some time in Eucharistic Adoration! Oh, how

lovely that was to have it there as part of our devotions!

i have been blessed to already have shared about St. rita

and your beautiful shrine to two of my friends, who neither

knew of St. rita or of her Shrine. i hope they too will be able

to visit someday! My sons both wrote small requests on little

cards and placed them in the basket there by the pillow and

her relic. They did it with such love and devotion, unprompted and unaided.

I know she will look down on them as she did on her own two boys! My

oldest made me cry when he told me he asked “only for a job for daddy

and nothing for me even.” St. Rita and the Shrine will be on my lips to anyone

who will listen. When we are able I also will hopefully be able to send off

some money for the Shrine. I hope it will be there for my sons and their family!

Thank you again, and God bless you! words cannot express what finding the

shrine and its loving staff have done for me and for my family. Finding St.

rita was a wonderful moment, finding the shrine was heaven sent!

yOUr wOrd TO US

–Nicole Harada email, PA

14

how we can grow in love and support of one another in such a huge under-

taking, in life and work. At times it seems and feels impossible, but i know

no challenges are too great for God. But we need not only generosity of

intellect to succeed in this mess, but a generosity of love and support for one

another, which due to injury and sadness one of us does not possess. If we

are to keep one another going in this endeavor and the endeavor of life, with

our encouragement and love, despite the very great challenges, we need to

both open our hearts to Divine love and to receiving love from one another.

in The FALL

“PeACemAker” in

“yOUr wOrd TO US,”

Janice Russoniello,

mother of nine from

Lancaster, PA, wrote

about a prayer book she

had created for her “Little

Society of St. Rita.’ The

beautiful book is now in

print and the royalties and

copyright have been

assigned to the St. Rita Shrine through the assistance of fr. Michael Di

Gregorio O.S.A., our past Rector. you can contact us through our website at

www.SaintRitaShrine.org for information to obtain a copy. Maybe you, too, will

have a calling to begin a “Little Society of St. Rita” in your own town. If you

start one, please contact us! - Deborah M. Binder

St. Rita Shrine Development Director

deAr ST. riTA, PATrOneSS OF The imPOSSiBLe. Source CREATOR said

you would help me. Please help me see the Sacred holy Christ light conscious-

ness within this vessel....this Spirit "hungering" for absolute Oneness, merging

with the CREATOR who Birthed it so that I can remember the True holy Sacred

Purpose of this Earth Adventure. In some ways I have caused unintentional

pain, suffering, hurt & disappointment to those I should have protected, cared

for, nourished and supported. I am just a Child; Children make mistakes. I fell

and I may not be worthy to be One with the Sacred Divine. Please St. rita help

to intercede on my behalf, that i may fully accept the rose and even its thorns

since ALL iS One. i am nothing without the CreATOr. i am just a drop in the

ocean of existence. Please St. rita....you appeared on this path i am on for a

purpose. I may not know that purpose but it is the TRUTh…the TRUTh of your

–Angelaemail, Cairo, Egypt

15

Sacred holy Divine Infinite Nature….that even as you “Sleep”…you still share

your Merciful Gracious healing Gifts to All who call upon you; and so it is that I

humbly call upon your Divine Sacred Intervention to help me and my family to

heal, to become United again, to Prosper and be a living embodiment of the

Compassion, Unconditional Love, kindness that you do still share with us

all....Always and forever..... Thank you Infinitely St. Rita, May we Always be

Purified, Sanctified—by your holy Sacred Memory...

YOUR WORD TO US, (COn’T)

–Muhumuza K. email, Uganda

i PrAyed a nine day novena to St. Rita, beginning on her feast day in 2013,

for an “impossible situation” regarding an abusive relationship involving my

daughter and grandson. A very familiar story for St. rita and my “impossible

dream” was for the intercession of rita to help this abuser become a holy

person and do what is in the best interest of my grandson, (his child) or that

he be removed from this family for their safety. I prayed a St. Rita chaplet and

her prayer, lit a candle, and built a small shrine in my home with her statue.

The morning following the ninth day (just a few hours in--about 3am) this man

was arrested and jailed for domestic assault in the first degree as he had

beaten, poured gasoline and attempted to light a fire on his current girlfriend

(not my daughter). Since then, he has been removed from this family completely.

i continue to pray to St. rita that perhaps jail may be part of her plan to make

him a good and holy person that will do what is in the best interest of his

child. Until then, I feel the removal was necessary for the safety of all con-

cerned and I am ever grateful for this favor granted--which I have made known

to many. I also pray for the patience to deal with this man (as St. Rita had with

her husband) upon his potential re-entry into my family.

–D. Barnes email, Jefferson City, Missouri

16

memorializingA loved one iS healingwe offer several ways at the shrine to memorialize

a loved one, living or deceased. There are many thoughtful

reasons devotees of St. Rita have memorializing a loved

one, as in time of illness, loss, marriage, anniversary,

birthday and favor received. All memorials are in lower

crypt area.

Name is engraved in granite.

$1000

Name is engraved in pink

marble. $5000 (above photo)

Name is placed around a

candle to remain lit for

a year. $150

AnnuAl CAndle

memoRiAl

BRASS PlAte

enGRAvinGName is added to a brass

plate. $250

enGRAvinG

in GRAnite

SAinT riTA OF CASCiA dominates the hill of Santa Cruz of Rio Grande do

Norte, in the easternmost part of Brazil. Blocks of cement 56 meters high

were used that were just one meter less than the height of the Statue of

Liberty. It took almost 10 years to plan and mount it, piece by piece, on high

ground that was leveled specifically for this purpose. The project cost was

approximately $3.6 million. The statue has been called a ‘beacon,’ and even

better, ‘a pole of attraction that will make the light of faith shrine.’

Excerpts from “The Bees to the Roses,” Sergio Casagrand, Oct./Nov. 2010

hiGheST CAThOLiC reLiGiOUS STATUe in The wOrd!

St. Rita statue

in Brazil

GOd’S healing JUSTiCein BrAziL

ThrOUGh

BLeSSed mAriAnO de LA mATA, O.S.A., An AUGUSTiniAn

BLeSSed mAriAnO de LA mATA

O.S.A. was born into a simple

Christian family and was ordained in

1930. After two years ministering in

Spain, he left for Brazil where he

would spend 52 years exercising his

Apostolate in the field of education

and especially in the daily care of

the poor, the elderly, and children,

and a frequent visitor of the sick.

As a “saint of the ordinary,” father

Mariano reminds us that the path

to holiness is essentially simple: it

consists in living the Gospel message

in a spirit of faith, freedom and gen-

erosity, loving God and neighbor as

Jesus instructed us. Mariano is a

modern saint, a saint who lived

surrounded by the challenges of our

contemporary world, but with the

timeless truth and wisdom of the

two great commandments. father

was distinguished as “a messenger

of charity.” he possessed a strong

character, but was at the same time

a generous and sensitive individual,

friendly and approachable by all.

Blessed Mariano was a man of deep

prayer, greatly devoted to the Blessed

virgin, thoroughly committed to his

priestly vocation, and fervent in his

love for the Eucharist. Mariano was

diagnosed with cancer in early 1983.

he underwent surgery to remove a

malignant tumor, but the cancer

continued to spread. he was consci-

entious with his students, the faithful

of the association of “Workshops of

Saint Rita of Charity”. he founded

over 200 such workshops in Brazil

which employ people to make afford-

able clothing for the poor. he was

merciful toward his penitents, pure of

heart, and a lover of peace in his

Augustinian Community and in his

family, overcoming difficulties

through prayer and sacrifice, con-

stantly having recourse to the virgin

Mary under the title of Our Lady of

Consolation up until the moment he

departed this life. he died on April

5, 1983, and was beatified on

November 5, 2006 in the Cathedral

of Sao Paolo. his body rests beside

the altar of his beloved virgin of

Consolation in the Church of Saint

Augustine in Sao Paolo.

“…OvERCOMING DIffICULTIES ThROUGh prayer AND sacrifice”

19

20

I was with my two little brothers at the bus stop on

17th and Girard.

Across the street came a gang of f ive from a discipli-

nary school…trying to start problems.

A f ire burning out of control in their minds, they

crossed the street, and approached my little brothers

and me with a gun.

When they came, one of the guys told the guy with

the gun to shoot me in front of my brothers.

There was fear in my two little brothers’ eyes, like the

fear of a deer who stumbled onto the highway at

night.

As he was about to pull out the gun, I heard,

“ Don’ t do it in front of his little brothers. ” Another

said, “ We will get you next time.”

As they left, it seemed like I was hit hard, like a

boxer suffering from a potent punch.

After it happened, a sigh of relief went past my mind.

I felt enraged but also providentia l.

God let my brothers and me survive the incident,

but God also showed us how it really is in the City

of Philadelphia.

-author, young boy, Philadelphia

21

GOd’S healing JUSTiCe

By Fr. PAUL mOrriSSey O.S.A.

heLLO FriendS OF ST. riTA.

Those words across the page,

recently came to us from a boy in

Philadelphia. he was just walking

home from school with his brothers

when he was threatened. The graffiti

of the baby with a gun is from a

schoolyard wall. These situations

remind us that Rita’s desire for

peace is even more necessary

today, especially in our cities. young

people are being drawn into these

wars in our streets. Children often

grow up without a father and with-

out a stable family, perhaps with no

regular meals, even threatened

when they simply walk down the

street. Imagine the mothers of

these young kids. They kiss them

goodbye in the morning as they

head out to school. Then they must

pray constantly for God and his

angels to watch over them until

they return home--if they do. We

at the Cascia Center in South

Philadelphia join you as you hold up

these children and families to St.

Rita, the Patron of the Impossible.

Are these young people with the

guns simply bad? Did they all just

decide to commit a crime for kicks?

Some may have, but most are prod-

ucts of their upbringing. They are

born into families that are poor.

Poor in what ways? first, many

don’t have the “Daily Bread” that

we all pray to the father to give us

each day. Second, many kids are

born into homes that are emotionally

and spiritually poor. They don’t

receive the love that is actually

needed to raise a child and teach

them moral guidelines. They may

also be poor in terms of being

“traumatized” at a young age by

violence—their brothers may have

been killed, their fathers or mothers

may be in jail. Imagine yourself in

such a family. They grow up with

what psychologists call PTSD

22

(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). It is the condition

similar to many of our soldiers when they come home

from fighting in Afghanistan.

The soldiers and the young city kids from these “poor”

homes are very likely to “act out” when they get angry or

stressed instead of being able to restrain themselves.

They have “short fuses.” We must treat them and their

families for this trauma, not just lock them up. These bro-

ken families—like St. rita’s family once was—are hurt

and must be healed. Otherwise, we will just have to keep

building more and more jails. Remember the words from

above: We will get you next time.

These broken families—including the families of the shooting

victims as well—are the ones for whom we must pray.

Otherwise we will just keep burying the young bodies.

finally, all of us are affected by this violence. Ripple

effects swirl out from each violent act and tend to magnify

the pain, the disruption, the anger, the lack of safety, the

very fabric of our neighborhoods. Remember when you

used to have your whole neighborhood watching out for

you? Lots of eyes on the streets kept a system of care and

respect enforced in a human way, a neighborhood way.

Even if it sometimes meant a neighbor called your mother

and reported that you were acting wild, at least a check

on “wild” behavior was ingrained in us then. Now, people

are afraid to “snitch” on each other. Now, gangs enforce

the behavior rules. We can’t give in to this. We must get to

know each other, and realize like St. Rita did, that revenge

solves nothing. fear only produces more fear, but love

also magnifies itself. Trust enkindles others’ trust.

FR. PAUl MORRISSeY O.S.A., (COn’T)

A vOICE OR hAND ThAT fOSTERS forgivenessIS �od’s �pirit AT WORk.

23

A voice or hand that fosters forgive-

ness is God’s Spirit at work. May this

Spirit increase in us. This is our way

in South Philly at St. Rita’s Shrine.

“The Lord hears the cry of the poor,”

we sing in the liturgy. yes, but he

needs our hands to show his care.

Imagine, God needs your love joined

together with his band of disciples.

Nothing can conquer us when we do.

you and all poor people who are

stuck in a cycle of violence are in our

hearts as we sing, “The Lord hears

the cry of the poor. Blessed be the

Lord.” May God bless you and all of

your loved ones this season, and

through St. Rita may he heal these

wounds in our beloved city.

Fr. Paul Morrissey

O.S.A. Adeodatus

Ministry is to foster

an awareness of

Christ in the lives

of those on both

sides of the prison

walls. If you would

like to get involved

to bring restorative justice to our cities,

call Fr. Paul at 215-925-3566 or visit

www.rightsofthepoor.org

St. Thomas of Villanova

by Anthony Visco,

Shrine Artist

Constructionnew ThinGS Are COminG….

OF The CASCiA CenTer

Following in this tradition of the Church, the Cascia

Center is about to be erected after many years of delay and trial.

But our faith in the good that will come from this Center will pay

off as we begin to minister to the people of God in diverse ways

through spirituality and ministry, inspired by the beliefs of Rita of

Cascia, a woman who herself endured great trials and obstacles

before her faith was rewarded. Why should we expect our journey

to be any different? We have endured many twists and turns in

this odyssey known as the campaign for the Cascia Center,

challenging our faith, and now we stand on the threshold of its

completion. heralding to the neighborhood

and to the greater community that new

things are coming.

–­Fr.­Joseph­A.­Genito,­O.S.A.

26

deAr FriendS OF ST. riTA,

Greetings and prayers for a peace and grace filled new

year to you and your loved ones! in reflecting upon our

issue’s theme of “God’s healing Justice” i was struck

by the ending lines of Fr. michael’s “view from my

heart,” when he wrote, “…in the darkness we may too

easily or quickly be distracted by a passing spark or

flashing glimmer, rather than the full bright beam that

Jesus reveals.”

THe CASCIA CenTeR PROJeCT

deveLOPmenTof OUrdeveLOPmenTS

Deborah­BinderDevelopment Director

215-546-8333 ext. 12

ritashrine@aol.com

www.SaintRitaShrine.org

Much of my development work

involves communicating with devo-

tees of St. Rita about her interces-

sion during their days of darkness

that have already occurred, or what

is being sought presently in a current

time of distress. It is always humbling

to hear of what God asks his faithful

followers to carry, to contemplate, to

endure, and to fully place in his holy

hands. “Jesus , I do Trust in you!”

God’s healing justice can be ever-

present to those who persevere,

wait, pray, sacrifice, fast and offer

charity in dark times. Trusting fully in

him is what he asks, and in

response we must try to listen, to be

open and to wait for ‘the full bright

beam that Jesus reveals.’

As fr. Joe stated in his letter, “by his

resurrection he prevailed, and the

wisdom of sticking with him and

his teachings breathed life into his

followers so that they could carry on

his work. They were eventually justi-

fied in their faith by his resurrection.”

We here at the Shrine have been

working to our best to bring the

Cascia Center to fruition, and from

the fruits of our prayers and labor to

date, we are beginning to see more

of the beam that Jesus is revealing

which presents added hope for us

with the expansion of our ministry

dream through the Center. Pray with

us and consider a gift to assist us in

becoming a ‘full bright beam’ where

Jesus can reveal himself even more

to others through the ministry of the

national Shrine of St. rita and it’s

Cascia Center.

CASCIACENTER

The

Healing Broken Lives

To Donate:

wwwSaintRitaShrine.org for PayPal

215-546-8333 for MC/Visa/Discover

or to mail use envelope enclosed

$280,000 Pledges

Promised

$300,000 Donated Services& Materials

$500,000 Still Needed

$1,400,000 Monies Collected

community outreach

spirituality & social center

education & ministries for peacemaking

Thank YOU for your continued support!The Augustinians, Employees & Volunteers of the Shrine

construction?Will YOU help us reach

our goal of $500,000 to take

us to

for

you

r sa

cri

fice

an

d m

ay y

ou

ha

ve

a b

lesse

d L

en

ten

Se

aso

n!

yO

Um

Ay

dO

nA

Te

By

US

inG

Th

ee

nv

eL

OP

e

en

CL

OS

ed

, v

iSiT

US

AT

ww

w.S

Ain

Tr

iTAS

hr

ine.O

rG

FO

rP

AyP

AL,

em

AiL

US

AT

riT

AS

hr

ine@

AO

L.C

Om

, O

rC

AL

LU

S

FO

rm

C/

viS

A/

diS

CO

ve

rA

T2

15

-54

6-8

33

3.

Ret

urn

serv

ice

requ

este

d

NO

N-P

RO

FIT

U

.S. P

OST

AG

EPA

IDLA

NSD

ALE

, PA

PER

MIT

NO

. 491

National Shrine

Saint Rita ofCascia

1166

Sou

th B

road

Str

eet

Phila

delp

hia,

PA

191

46

thank

youArtist, Fr. Gene DelConte O.S.A.

Th

e F

ria

rs,

em

plo

ye

es &

vo

lun

tee

rs o

f th

e S

hri

ne

.