St. Rita's Shrine
Saint Rita's ChapelThe only shrine dedicated to St.
Rita in England is based at the Augustinian Recollect Spirituality Centre named
after her, St Rita’s Centre in Honiton home of the famous Honiton lace in East
Devon.
The Chapel is dedicated to St. Rita and has beautiful stained glass windows made by the Monks at Buckfast Abbey and paid for by generous donation. St. Rita is known for the legend of the roses which tells us that she requested a rose from her garden in winter, not the rose growing season, but a rose was found there and brought to Rita as she lay dying in the Convent in Cascia, her room was filled with the scent of roses.
St. Rita's ShrineSaint Rita’s life was dedicated to
prayer, healing and reconciliation, qualities promoted by the activities of the
Shrine. A prayerful atmosphere encourages private, meditative prayer,
especially in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and the availability of the
Sacrament of Reconciliation provides the opportunity for spiritual healing and
peace. Saint Rita’s spirituality is pervasive in the atmosphere of the Shrine
which welcomes all who seek to spend time in various modes of peaceful
reflection whether in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, among inspiring
works of art, partaking in the Saint Rita novena, or through the offering of
the sacrament of reconciliation and the holy sacrifice of the Mass.
Many people have claimed that rose petals blessed on her feast day, 22nd May, have curative qualities and thousands of blessed rose petals are sent out from St. Rita’s Promotions to people who request them all over the world.
The beautiful wooden carved stat, a gift to St. Rita's Centre, sits in the Chapel, beside it is a portrait of St. Rita created in Honiton lace by local Honiton Lace maker Pat Perryman. In a display cabinet close by there is an authenticated relic of the famous saint.
In the garden are the yellow flowering St. Rita Rose Bushes commissioned and named in her honour.
Saint Rita's Roses