New! St. Rita – Art Print – St. Rita of Cascia – Based on a Vintage Holy Card

St. Rita

Antique Holy Card – Anonymous Artist

From one of the most beautiful holy cards we've ever seen, this portrait of St. Rita of Cascia (1381–1457) reflects the beauty and piety of her spirit, and shows some of the most famous events of her life. She was married young to a mean man, but through years of her praying for him, he returned to his Christian roots. After he died, she became an Augustinian nun. One time in deep prayer before a crucifix, the thorny crown of Christ was placed briefly on her head, and a single thorn wounded her forehead. In this picture, the angel is removing the crown and you can see the mark on her forehead. It was a partial stigmata and did not heal her during her lifetime.

The beautiful border has bees, which one time during her infancy went in and out of her mouth without stinging her. It was interpreted as a sign of her future holiness, eloquence in prayer, and sweetness of soul (like honey). They also symbolize her patient, hard-working nature. The roses represent a rose she had asked for as she was dying from her family’s long-unused and snow-covered garden. Miraculously, one was found blooming there and was brought to her. The grapes symbolize her devotion to the Eucharist and to the fruitfulness of her prayers.

Her prayers are fruitful. Many miracles have been attributed to her during and after her lifetime. Because of that, when she was canonized in 1900, the Church bestowed on her the title "Patroness of Impossible Causes." Her Feast Day is May 22. She is the patroness of other things, including difficult relationships, widows, and the sick. The text at the bottom of the card means, "O Glorious Saint Rita, intercede for us!" Amen!

I think the holy card maker was French, because the art is in that beautiful style they were using around the turn of the century. However, the prase "O Gloriosa S. Rita intercedi per noi!" can be either Latin, or Italian, and so I think there's a slight chance it was an Italian artist copying the French. Also, the French publishers rarely used Latin. I think this is one of the most beautiful cards I've ever seen. I spend ten to twenty hours a week looking for new Catholic art for you, and for me, just because I love Catholic art. When I found this one, I was thrilled.

** IMPORTANT ** THE IMAGE IS SMALLER THAN THE PAPER! There is a blank border around the image.

Approximately 0.5" wide for 5x7, 1.3" for 8.5x11, 1.6" for 11x14, and 1.75" for 13x17 and 16x20. For the two poster sizes, 18x24 and 24x36, we use 0.5" borders. There will be a little more border either on the left-right, or the top-bottom, depending on whether the art is wider or taller than the paper. The ratio of the rectangle of the art almost never matches the rectangle of the paper.

If we printed to the edge, we’d be either cropping the art or warping it, which would make us feel like barbarians and make you feel like you got an ugly print. That would be against our Mission of “bringing joy to the faithful and evangelizing through beauty.” Our mission implies quality.

What you get:

– Archival Quality Prints: Acid-free paper

– Archival pigments, rated to last for generations (200+ years)

– Cardboard backer

– Above story of the art

– Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal-clear bag.

Thanks for your interest!

+JMJ+

Sue & John

“In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art.”

~ St. Pope John Paul II

Original image is out-of-copyright. Descriptive text and any image alterations (hence the whole new image) © by Sue Kouma Johnson – Classic Catholic Art.