The prologue of our Rule of Life

In the name of the Triune God, we, the Sisters of St. Rita, are on our way to God, following the Rule of St. Augustine.

Sacred Scripture is the spiritual foundation upon which we stand.

Through Baptism and Confirmation, we participate in the relationship with Christ and his Church.

The Evangelical Counsels and our life in the Community are our way of traveling together as Christians. St. Augustine, the great God seeker, is our model.
 Like him, we seek God in our own hearts, in every human being, and in every life situation.

The example of St. Rita helps us to lead a life of union with God, and like her, to serve people in love, peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

As Augustinian women, we understand and make a common life our mission.

Father Hugolinus Dach, OSA, together with four young women, founded our community. From the beginning, their focus was on caring for families (spiritual/social family care).

Life with God

“Let's seek God to find Him. And let us keep looking for Him when we have found Him.”
  Augustine, Homily to the Gospel of John 63.1

Our life in following Jesus is based on our personal loving relationship with God. The celebration of the Eucharist lets us experience the living presence of the Crucified and Risen Lord and unites us to Him and to one another.
Sacred Scripture encourages us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, to help us in this, we read and share Scripture with each other.
The common prayer in the morning and in the evening (Lauds, Vespers) and times of silence help us to stay in touch with God.

St. Augustine

We Sisters of St. Rita live according to the Rule of St. Augustine (354 - 430 AD). From youth to old age, he remained in search of God.

This unites us with him and with many people of our time who also seek God.
Looking at his life, we can discover that God has always called him back to himself. Augustine needed God in every stage of his life.

This is an experience we share with him and from which we learn about ourselves and our God.

St.  Augustine left many writings and sermons to draw from for our Spiritual Life. For more about St. Augustine please see our links.

Rita of Cascia – Our Role Model

Rita of Cascia was born in 1381 in Roccaporena, in the Umbrian highlands (Italy). She died on May 22, 1447, as an Augustinian Nun in Cascia.

The life of St. Rita was shaped by her homeland, a barren landscape with narrow valleys and little space for gardens and fields.
In order to live there, people had to support each other. Thus, Rita's life was shaped from the beginning by helping one another.

The faith of their parents laid the foundation for her own deep relationship with Christ and the Church. In the small village of Roccaporena, she lived as a wife and mother.

After her husband was murdered in a political dispute, she managed to bring the hostile families/clans to make peace and prevent the chain of blood revenge.

After the death of her sons, she entered the convent of Augustinian nuns in Cascia. Here, too, she saw her task as putting her life at the service of the poor and the sick.

Her whole life was interwoven with a close relationship with Christ. In the last 15 years of her life, she bore a stigma on her forehead.

The following aspects of her life story are foundational for us:

• her relationship with God /Christ
• Rita's life in simplicity
• her life in relationship with the people
• Rita's obedience and trust
• her message of peace.

 At the end of Rita's life, the rose becomes the symbol of her entire life: joy and sorrow, blossoms, and thorns determine life.
 We share these different experiences and can thus spread the "fragrance of Christ".
There is much more information about St. Rita of Cascia. If you are interested, follow the links.