Prayer to St Rita
St. Rita of Cascia is the Catholic patron saint of impossible causes, and people pray to her by naming the situation they cannot fix and asking her to intercede with God for them. Rita of Cascia was an Italian woman who became an Augustinian nun at Cascia, died on 22 May 1457, and was canonized in 1900 by Pope Leo XIII. Her feast day is 22 May, and she is also invoked as the patron of difficult marriages and of widows.
In Catholic practice, praying to a saint means asking that person to pray to God with you. It is the same motion as asking an earthly friend or elder believer to keep an intention in their daily prayers, rooted in the communion of believers across time. Rita does not act through independent divine authority, and she does not grant petitions on her own.
Approaching an intention through St. Rita allows someone to name an overwhelming burden without pretending that human effort alone can resolve it. Her intercession is sought when ordinary solutions have run out, when family strain seems set in place, or when the weight of waiting requires steady endurance before God.
A Short Prayer to St. Rita
St. Rita of Cascia, patron of impossible causes, pray with me today before the throne of God. I place before you this burden that I cannot resolve by my own wisdom or energy. Ask the Lord to look upon my need with mercy, to calm my troubled mind, and to grant me the grace to accept His holy will. Stand beside me in this difficult hour, holy Augustinian nun of Cascia, and join your prayers to mine as I seek divine help. Amen.
A Prayer for a Situation That Feels Impossible
Heavenly Father, I come before You in the company of St. Rita, whom the Church honors as a helper in causes that appear beyond remedy. You know the exact circumstance that brings me to my knees today, and You know the limits of what I can accomplish through my own planning. Every door seems closed, every earthly option feels exhausted, and my heart grows heavy with worry about what tomorrow may bring. I ask St. Rita to intercede for me, bringing this specific struggle to Your feet. Holy Rita, pray to the Lord that He may grant me peace when solutions are absent. Ask Him to soften hard obstacles according to His purpose, to supply what is lacking in my limited strength, and to remind me that nothing lies beyond His sovereign reach. Keep me from giving in to despair while I wait for guidance, and help me remain faithful each day. Amen.
A Prayer for a Difficult Marriage or Family Conflict
Lord God, Creator of family and giver of peace, look with compassion upon the strain within my household. St. Rita is invoked as a patron of difficult marriages and family reconciliation, and I ask her to pray with me for healing in these strained relationships today. St. Rita of Cascia, bring our words, our silences, and our broken trust before the Lord. Ask God to remove bitterness from our hearts and replace resentment with patience. Where communication has broken down, pray that the Lord grants us the humility to listen. Where anger has taken root, ask Him to bring calm and understanding. Intercede for our home, holy saint, asking God to provide the endurance needed to rebuild what has been fractured, one small step at a time. Amen.
A Prayer for a Widow or Someone Grieving a Spouse
Almighty God, Comforter of the afflicted, hold me near in the quiet ache of this grief. St. Rita is known across the Church as a patron of widows, and I turn to her intercession as I walk through the deep sorrow of losing my spouse. The house feels empty, the routines of daily life carry a constant weight, and the future looks unfamiliar and daunting. St. Rita, pray for me as I navigate this bereavement. Ask the Lord to wrap His presence around my loneliness and to sustain my physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Pray that God sends caring companions to support me when the burden feels too heavy to carry alone. Join your prayers to mine, asking the Father to keep my eyes fixed on the promise of eternal life and to grant me comfort during the darkest hours of the night. Amen.
A Prayer for Patience While Waiting
Lord Jesus Christ, You urged Your disciples to always pray and never grow faint, yet my patience wears thin as days turn into months without change. In this long season of waiting, I ask St. Rita of Cascia to join her voice with mine before the Father. St. Rita, patron of difficult causes, pray that God grants me the grace of patient endurance. When doubt creeps into my thoughts, ask the Lord to steady my spirit. When exhaustion tempts me to abandon prayer altogether, ask the Holy Spirit to renew my commitment to seek God daily. Help me remember that God works in His own timing, far outside my narrow schedule. Pray that I may grow in quiet trust, living faithfully in the duties of this present day while waiting for God's path to become clear. Father, hear the intercession of St. Rita on my behalf, and teach me to rest in Your providential care. Amen.
A One-Line Prayer to St. Rita
St. Rita of Cascia, patron of impossible causes, pray to God for me in my time of need. Amen.
Scripture to pray
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."— Matthew 19:26
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.— Luke 18:1
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.— James 5:16
Frequently asked questions
Who is St. Rita?
St. Rita of Cascia was an Italian woman who became an Augustinian nun at Cascia. She died on 22 May 1457 and was canonized in 1900 by Pope Leo XIII.
What is St. Rita the patron saint of?
St. Rita is the Catholic patron saint of impossible causes, and she is also invoked as the patron of difficult marriages and of widows.
What is St. Rita's feast day?
St. Rita's feast day is celebrated on 22 May, the traditional date of her death in 1457.
How do I pray to St. Rita?
You pray to St. Rita by naming your situation honestly and asking her to intercede with God on your behalf, speaking either through traditional devotional prayers or in your own plain words.
Is it okay to pray to saints?
Yes, in Catholic teaching it is acceptable to pray to saints because the practice asks holy men and women to intercede with God, functioning in the same way as asking a Christian friend to pray for you.