St. Rita of Cascia is known as the saint of impossible causes. A wife, mother, widow and nun, she suffered much and is asked to pray for marriages in trouble, for difficult families and for situations that look hopeless.
Below is a traditional prayer to St. Rita, short prayers, a novena before her feast on 22 May, and her story.
Prayers to St. Rita
Prayer to St. Rita for an impossible cause
O holy St. Rita, you are called the saint of the impossible and advocate of the hopeless. From the depths of my heart I ask your help in this situation that seems beyond hope: (name your request). You knew suffering as a wife, a mother and a widow. Pray for me before God, that He may grant what I ask if it is His will, and give me patience and peace until He answers. Amen.
A prayer to St. Rita for a troubled marriage
St. Rita, you lived for years in a hard marriage and prayed for your husband until his heart changed. Pray for my marriage. Bring peace into our home, soften what has grown hard between us, and help us both to forgive. Amen.
Short Prayers
- St. Rita, advocate of the impossible, pray for us.
- St. Rita, pray for my family.
- St. Rita, help me not to lose hope.
Novena to St. Rita
A novena is nine consecutive days of prayer for one intention. Each day, pray the main prayer above, name your intention, then pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory Be. Many people pray it from 13 to 21 May so that it ends on the eve of her feast on 22 May.
Who Was St. Rita?
Rita was born around 1381 near Cascia in Umbria, Italy. She was married young to a man described as violent, whom she prayed for patiently and who reportedly changed before he was murdered in a feud. After her two sons also died, she entered the Augustinian convent in Cascia.
In later life she received a wound on her forehead that she understood as a share in Christ’s crown of thorns. She died in 1457, and Pope Leo XIII canonised her in 1900. Roses are her emblem because of a story that a rose bloomed in winter at her request.
Scripture
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (NIV)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
Questions People Ask
Why is St. Rita the saint of impossible causes?
Because of the hardships she endured and the prayers attributed to her intercession, especially for marriages and families that seemed beyond repair.
When is St. Rita’s feast day?
22 May.
Why is St. Rita shown with roses?
Tradition says that, as she was dying in winter, she asked for a rose from her old garden and one was found in bloom.
Can I send a prayer to St. Rita through Holy Land Prayer?
We do not send prayers to a shrine of St. Rita. Her shrine is the Basilica of St. Rita in Cascia, Italy. What we do is carry prayers to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem: you can write a prayer asking for this saint’s intercession in the form at the top of this page, and we will place it inside one of the chapels, where a priest prays it in English.
Who Writes These Prayers
The Holy Land Prayer team writes the prayers on this page. Traditional prayers are given in the form used in Catholic devotion. Scripture is quoted from the New International Version.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026 by the Holy Land Prayer team.
Send an Impossible Intention to Jerusalem
St. Rita is asked for help with the situations that look hopeless: a marriage, a child, an illness with no clear way through. If you would like that intention prayed at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christians remember the empty tomb, write it in the form at the top of this page. We print it, place it in one of the chapels and light a candle on your behalf, and a priest prays it in English. Photos of the prayer and the candle come to you by email. See how it works.
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