St. Rita Rosary Bracelet, Catholic Chaplet

Patron Saint of the Impossible, Abuse Victims & More

This St. Rita rosary bracelet is a meaningful chaplet dedicated to the patron saint of impossible causes, abuse victims, heartbroken women, widows, marriage problems, and more. It combines an Italian medal, white pearls, rosewood beads, pewter roses, and light green crystals in a sweet and elegant devotional piece. It is designed as a Catholic niner, a chaplet with three trios of prayer beads, which here are represented by two sets of wooden beads and a central set of two white pearls flanking a large round crystal bead.

The Italian medal is base metal and nicely detailed, showing the saint receiving a wound of Christ's Passion. The pearls and crystals are from Swarovski. These are sparkling beads that really catch the light! The rosewood beads have visible grain and remind me of beads that were used in vintage rosaries. The rose pewter beads are lovely additions, inspired by the legend of a rose blooming in winter when St. Rita was on her deathbead. The rose symbol also relates to her stigmata. To learn more, please see my "About" section below.

This rosary bracelet also includes the following:
• Sterling silver petaled bead caps  
• Antiqued rose charm with bloom and leaves
• TierraCast silver-plated daisy spacers and jump rings • Sterling silver twist crimps and wire guards
• Silver plate lobster clasp • Silver-tone extender chain • High-quality 49-strand beading wire

All these components were made in the USA except the chain and the antiqued rose charm. The length here is approximately 7.25 inches, with the extender chain adding another inch. Attached to the extender is a dangle of three beads, which represents the Holy Trinity.

This St. Rita Catholic chaplet with pearls, crystals, and rosewood was handmade by me with care, thought, and best wishes for its destined owner. It comes wrapped in a nice organza bag, all set for gifting. This is a lovely, meaningful bracelet for anyone who desires the patronage of this saint and finds hope and consolation in her.

ABOUT ST. RITA
An Italian saint, Rita was born Margherita Lotti in 1381. She was 76 when she died of tuberculosis in 1457. As a child, Rita developed a love of religious life and wanted desperately to enter a convent. Her parents had other ideas for her, though, and when she was only 12, they married her off to Paolo Mancini, who was much older. A man of violent temper, with many enemies, he quickly became an abusive and unfaithful husband. However, after a time, with Rita's help, Paolo realized he had to change and worked to become a better person and loving spouse. Years later, he fell victim to a feud between the Mancini family and Chiqui clan, and was betrayed and murdered by an ally. His sons sought to avenge him, but Rita, in dismay, begged God to take them into heaven so they would not commit the mortal sin of murder. Both sons died of an illness one year later.

St. Rita tried to enter an Augustinian convent in Cascia, but the town blocked her path, fearing that her entry would invite danger from the continuing Mancini family feud. Rita prayed for help. Again her prayers were answered in the form of an illness, this time the bubonic plague, which infected the Mancini family head and led him to end the feud. Now 36, Rita could finally fulfill her childhood dream and embark on a monastic life.

When she was 60, St. Rita experienced a sacred wounding to her forehead that resembled the piercing of a thorn—a phenomenon considered a partial form of stigmata. She had requested the wound from God because she longed to feel the pain of Christ's Passion. The cut never healed and later became an attribute of the saint, who is often shown with a head wound in religious pictures of her.

Another attribute, the rose, has a deathbed story attached to it. As she lay dying of tuberculosis, Rita asked for a rose from the garden of her former home. Although it was winter, a single rose was discovered and given to her. As a matter of note, bees are also an attribute of this saint, sourced from a legend in which Rita, when only an infant, was swarmed by white bees, who entered her mouth and then flew off, leaving her unharmed.

St. Rita is regarded as the patroness of the impossible. She is also the patron saint of abuse victims, heartbroken women, widows, sterility, marriage problems, parenthood, the sick, the wounded, and those with physical handicaps. Some people believe she is the patron saint of baseball too.

Interestingly, she was declared an incorruptible by the fifteenth-century Catholic Church after three exhumations over several years revealed no sign of physical deterioration. Today, her body is exposed in its glass casket at her beautiful basilica in Cascia. The feast day of this special saint is May 22.

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