About National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia is a Roman Catholic shrine of prayer and pilgrimage located on South Broad Street in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1907 by the Augustinian Friars of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova, the Shrine is dedicated to Saint Rita of Cascia (1381–1457), an Augustinian saint revered as the patron of impossible causes, peacemakers, and the desperately afflicted. In 2003 the U.S. Bishops designated the parish church as the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia, and in 2004 it was formally 'twinned' with the Basilica of Saint Rita in Cascia, Italy. Since 2016 the Shrine has operated exclusively as a national pilgrimage and pastoral ministry center, offering daily Mass, confession, novena devotions, healing Masses, retreats, and counseling rooted in Saint Rita's witness as a healer, reconciler, and peacemaker.
- Established
- 1907
- Patron
- Saint Rita of Cascia
- Rector
- Rev. Robert 'Bob' Guessetto, O.S.A. (Assistant Shrine Director; Augustinian Friar serving as on-site administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Why belong here
The Shrine is a national pilgrimage destination rooted in the spirituality of Saint Rita of Cascia, the patron saint of impossible causes, and offers what most parishes cannot: daily Mass with weekly novena devotions, perpetual and Solemn Nine-day Novenas, monthly Healing Masses, daily Confession Monday through Saturday, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, and a weekly Wednesday Novena to Saint Rita celebrated after every Mass. Beyond the sacraments, the Shrine runs an unusually robust counseling and outreach ministry (marriage, bereavement, victims of abuse, men's addiction support, spiritual direction) and welcomes groups for customized retreats and pilgrimages in the historic Roman Baroque church on South Broad Street.
Mass times at National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday through Saturday: 10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
- Monday through Saturday: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- During the Solemn Novena (May 13–21 annually): 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.
- Sacrament is heard in the right transept of the Upper Church, near the baptismal font; anonymous or face-to-face; NOT offered on Sundays
Adoration times
- Every Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. (Lower Shrine Chapel)
About the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia
Founded in 1907 by the Augustinian Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova, the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia is a Roman Catholic community of prayer and worship located on South Broad Street in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Inspired by the life and witness of Saint Rita of Cascia — an Augustinian saint known as a healer, reconciler, and peacemaker — the Shrine welcomes people from all walks of life as they live these virtues and encounter God in their midst. Designated by the U.S. Bishops as the National Shrine of Saint Rita in 2003 and twinned with the Basilica of Saint Rita in Cascia, Italy, in 2004, the Shrine is administered by the Augustinian Friars under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
History & Heritage
The Shrine's story begins in November 1906 when Archbishop Patrick J. Ryan invited the Augustinian Friars to establish a parish in South Philadelphia for the spiritual, social, and educational needs of immigrant families. Land was purchased on South Broad Street in March 1907, the cornerstone was laid in October 1907 with the benefaction of Lucas E. Burke, and the church was dedicated in May 1915. Saint Rita's grew into the largest Catholic community in South Philadelphia by the 1930s (over 8,000 families) and ran a parish school from 1910. After a 1990s revival, the Bishops designated it the National Shrine in 2003, it was twinned with the Basilica of Cascia in 2004, and the parish was suppressed in 2016 so the Shrine could operate exclusively as a national pilgrimage center. The most recent expansion is Saint Rita Place and the Cascia Center (2020s), a five-story mixed-use building that includes 46 units of affordable senior housing plus new community space for pilgrims.
- November 1906: Archbishop Patrick J. Ryan invites the Augustinian Friars to South Philadelphia
- March 1907: Land purchased on South Broad Street; Mass first celebrated in a converted stable
- October 1907: Cornerstone laid with the bequest of Lucas E. Burke; architect George I. Lovatt hired
- 1910: Parish school opens with 175 students under the Gray Franciscan Sisters
- May 1915: Church dedicated; daily Masses in English and Italian; Wednesday Novena begun
- 1930s: Largest Catholic community in South Philadelphia — 8,000+ registered families
- September 1951: New school building dedicated
- Early 1990s: Parish school closes; revitalization begins
- 1993: Newsletter mailing to 600 initiates parish renewal
- 2003: U.S. Bishops designate Saint Rita of Cascia as a National Shrine
- 2004: Twinned with the Basilica of Saint Rita in Cascia, Italy
- 2016: Territorial parish suppressed; Shrine operates exclusively as national shrine
- 2019: Listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places
- 2020s: Saint Rita Place and the Cascia Center opens (offices, community room, 46 senior housing units)
Architecture & Art
Architect George I. Lovatt designed the church — his first Roman Baroque commission — modeling it on the first Baroque churches of 16th- and 17th-century Rome, particularly Il Gesù. Local artisans and immigrant laborers erected the structure for contractors Melody & Keating between 1907 and 1915, importing an Italian marble altar that rises more than 32 feet and laying Italian mosaic floors. The façade features extensive architectural terracotta in classical Baroque motifs: an eschutcheon with a papal mitre flanked by volutes, Ionic and Tuscan columns, paired Baroque volutes flanking a central oculus and lunette pediment, dentil and egg-and-dart moldings, and horizontal quoin blocks framing a tall central portal reached by 15 steps. Saint Augustine (south niche) and Saint Patrick (north niche), statues honor the Augustinian Order and its Irish roots in Philadelphia. In the Lower Shrine, original sculptures and murals by Philadelphia artist Anthony Visco depict the life and virtues of Saint Rita.
- Style: Roman Baroque (modeled on Il Gesù, Rome)
- Architect: George I. Lovatt (plans 1907; dedicated 1915)
- Contractors: Melody & Keating
- Principal materials: terracotta, limestone, granite, slate, brick, Conshohocken / Chester Creek stone, copper siding and trim
- Imported Italian marble altar (>32 feet high)
- Italian mosaic flooring
- Façade niches with statues of St. Augustine (south) and St. Patrick (north)
- Clerestory stained-glass windows along the exposed north wall
- Lower Shrine: original sculptures and murals by artist Anthony Visco
- Listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places (2019)
Pastoral Counseling & Outreach
Beyond the sacraments, the Shrine runs a unique pastoral counseling and outreach ministry out of Saint Rita's mission as a center of healing, reconciliation, and peacemaking. Friar Brother Bob Thornton, O.S.A., Psy.D., coordinates this ministry, which provides pastoral counseling and psychotherapy for individuals and couples on a wide range of issues. A weekly Men's Group focuses on breaking pornography use and sexual addiction and promoting chaste living. The Shrine also consults with, supports, and supervises clergy and ministers who need pastoral care themselves.
- Marriage & Couple Counseling
- Bereavement, Life-Transition & Loss
- Spiritual Direction
- Relational Problems; Depression & Anxiety
- Support for Victims of Sexual Abuse
- Men's Group (weekly: pornography, sexual addiction, chaste living)
- Consultation, Support, and Supervision for Clergy & Ministers
Sacramental Ministries
The Shrine focuses intently on the sacraments as a place of transforming encounter. Six Augustinian Friars celebrate daily and Sunday Mass, hear confessions Monday through Saturday, lead Evenings of Reconciliation and Adoration, and offer the unique Novena of Reconciliation Masses and the Novena of Healing Masses. Weddings are coordinated through the Wedding Coordinator, baptisms and anointing of the sick are arranged through the Shrine Office, and religious articles purchased in the Gift Shop can be brought to a Friar for blessing.
- Daily Mass — Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.
- Vigil Mass — Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday Mass — 10:00 a.m.
- Monthly Healing Mass — third Sunday, September through May, 12:00 p.m.
- Perpetual Novena to Saint Rita — after both Masses on Wednesdays
- Novena to Our Mother of Good Counsel — after both Masses on Mondays
- Confessions — Mon–Sat 10:45–11:45 a.m. and 4:00–5:00 p.m.
Devotions & the Solemn Novena
The Shrine lives and breathes the devotions to Saint Rita of Cascia, 'the saint of impossible causes.' Each Wednesday a Novena to Saint Rita is prayed after both daily Masses. Every year the Shrine observes its Solemn Novena and Feast Day, ten days of prayer celebrating Saint Rita culminating in her Feast Day on May 22 — with multiple daily Masses, relic venerations, expanded confession schedules, and a Solemn Vigil Mass the night before. The Shrine also holds a Healing Mass each month and continues to provide online ('virtual') Novena prayer resources so that distant patrons can join the prayers.
- Wednesday Perpetual Novena to Saint Rita (after each daily Mass)
- Monday Novena to Our Mother of Good Counsel (after each daily Mass)
- Monthly Healing Mass (3rd Sunday, Sept–May, 12:00 p.m.)
- Solemn Novena to Saint Rita of Cascia — May 13 through May 21 each year
- Solemn Feast of Saint Rita of Cascia — May 22 (six Masses annually)
- Evenings of Reconciliation, Adoration, and Witness
- Virtual / online Novena prayers
Pilgrimages, Retreats & Faith Formation
The Shrine welcomes thousands of visitors annually — students and teachers, the elderly and the infirmed, locals and international travelers — and customizes their experience. A Coordinator of Programs & Pilgrimages helps groups plan pilgrimages, retreat days on-site or at schools and parishes, faculty and staff days, and student or parish staff retreats. The Shrine's three-year strategic vision emphasizes education in conflict resolution, reconciliation, and forgiveness; Days of Recollection for caregivers and ministers; and resources for Distance-Learning initiatives.
- Custom group pilgrimages and tours
- On-site or off-site retreat days (students, faculty, parish staff, religious-ed classes)
- Days of Recollection for Caregivers & Ministers
- Student and Teacher Retreats, Pilgrimages & Conferences
- Education in Conflict Resolution, Reconciliation, and Forgiveness
Music & Liturgy
Music at the Shrine is led by Brooklyn McLaury Evangelista, Director of Sacred Music, working with the Augustinian Friars to support the daily and Sunday Mass schedule, the monthly Healing Mass, and the Solemn Novena and Feast Day liturgies. Visitors are invited to experience the Upper Shrine's sanctuary and the lower devotional chapels; the Solemn Feast Day each May features six Masses with full liturgical music.
- Director of Sacred Music: Brooklyn McLaury Evangelista
Staff & Augustinian Friars
The Shrine is staffed by both lay ministers and Augustinian Friars of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova. Jonathan Jerome serves as Executive Director — the second lay leader of the Shrine — and Mr. Jim Burke chairs the Board of Directors. Six Augustinian Friars serve sacrastically and pastorally on site, supported by office, maintenance, and gift-shop staff. The Friary community is housed at Our Mother of Good Counsel Friary, 1511 S. 10th Street.
- Executive Director: Mr. Jonathan Jerome
- Chairman of the Board: Mr. Jim Burke
- Augustinian Friars: Fr. Bob Guessetto, O.S.A. (Asst. Shrine Director); Fr. Dan McLaughlin, O.S.A.; Fr. Jeremy Hiers, O.S.A.; Fr. James Paradis, O.S.A.; Fr. William Recchuti, O.S.A.; Br. Bob Thornton, O.S.A., Psy.D.
- Deacon Olindo Mennilli (Director of Business Operations)
- Weddings: Valerie Iezzi; Programs & Pilgrimages: Katie Clymer
- Operations: Donna Candelora, Esq. (Office Administrator); Joseph Tierno (Maintenance)
Visiting the Shrine
Pilgrims and visitors can plan a visit using the Shrine's published hours. The Upper and Lower Shrines are open Monday through Saturday 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. The Gift Shop (lower level and online) sells religious items, holy cards, rosaries, books, and statues. The Shrine Office (Mon–Fri 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sat 9:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.) assists with prayer requests, scheduling, and administrative services. The elevator-accessible entrance to the Lower Shrine is in the alleyway to the left of the main Broad Street entrance.
- Upper Shrine: Mon–Sat 7:45 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Sun 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
- Lower Shrine: same hours
- Shrine Office: Mon–Fri 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sat 9:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
- Gift Shop: Mon–Fri 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; Sat 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Sun 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
- Virtual Gift Shop: national-shrine-of-saint-rita-of-cascia.myshopify.com
- Address: 1166 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146
- Phone: 215-546-8333; Gift Shop: 215-546-8335
Getting Involved
The Shrine depends on a community of dedicated volunteers and patrons to support its ministries. Through the Saint Rita Society, members unite their prayers with people around the world; volunteers assist with a variety of tasks and projects across the Shrine; and the Friars and lay staff continually seek new parishioners, retreatants, and pilgrims who will make the Shrine their spiritual home. Pastors of nearby parishes are encouraged to arrange school and parish-staff pilgrimage days at the Shrine to share Saint Rita's witness with their communities.
- Saint Rita Society — worldwide prayer/devotion enrollment
- Volunteer program (Shrine-wide)
- Request a Mass intention (in-person or online)
- Light a real or virtual candle for a loved one or special intention
- Custom pilgrimage / retreat day for your parish, school, or group
Saint Rita of Cascia — Patroness
Saint Rita of Cascia (1381–1457) was a widow, mother, and eventually an Augustinian nun in Umbria, Italy, famed for her perseverance through a difficult marriage, the murder of her sons, and her lifelong devotion to the mystery of the Crucified Christ. She received a stigmatic wound on her forehead from a thorn from Christ's crown, and is widely venerated as the patron saint of impossible causes, abused wives, widows, and the desperately afflicted. The Philadelphia Shrine, founded just seven years after her 1900 canonization, was the first major American devotion dedicated to her under the Augustinian Order, and in 2004 was twinned with the Basilica that houses her relics in Cascia.
- Born 1381 in Roccaporena, near Cascia, Umbria
- Married and widowed; entered the Augustinian monastery of Santa Maria Maddalena in Cascia
- Received the stigmatic thorn wound (the 'stigma of the thorn') on her forehead
- Canonized by Pope Leo XIII on May 24, 1900
- Feast Day: May 22
- Patron of impossible causes, abused wives, and peacemakers
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Augustinian Friars of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova (parish founded under Archbishop Patrick J. Ryan)1907
Parish assigned to the Order upon founding; founding pastor not individually identified on the public site
- Rev. Michael F. Di Gregorio, O.S.A.mid-1990s onward
Long-serving Augustinian leader who led the post-1993 revitalization of the parish; later served as Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova and remains closely associated with the Shrine
- Rev. Joseph A. Genito, O.S.A.circa 2016
Listed as Pastor / Shrine Director on Archdiocese directory entry during the 2016 transition of parish status
- Jonathan Jerome2019–present (as Executive Director)
Lay Executive Director named Oct. 7, 2019, just the second lay leader in Shrine history