Cascia marks 11 years of the St Rita statue given by the Lebanese people

The Italian town of Cascia, home of St Rita, spent the weekend of 17 and 18 October celebrating the 11th anniversary of the statue of the saint donated by the Lebanese people, local outlet Valnerina Oggi reports.

The programme, organised by the municipality and the Cascia for St Rita Committee, opened at the town hall with a meeting on the history of the bond between Cascia and Lebanon, attended by Father Charbel Mhanna and Sarkis Sarkis. Former mayor Gino Emili, who took part in the statue's inauguration in 2015, recalled how the project came about.

An exhibition, "The statue of St Rita from Lebanon to Cascia in the sign of Peace", opened on the Viale di Santa Rita, and the celebrations included prayer and a Peace Procession.

Devotion to St Rita, patron of impossible causes, is strong among Lebanese Christians, and the statue has become a lasting sign of fraternity between the two peoples.