and it healed immediately, so that she fulfilled her pious wish, and on her return to Cascia, the wound again became distressing to her neighbours and delightful to herself. Once, when she lay very ill, in mid-winter, one of her loving friends said to her, "Is there anything you would like?" "Yes," answered Rita, "bring me some roses and figs from your garden." The friend thought she was wandering in her mind from weakness, but went to the garden to see what she could bring, and there indeed she found amid the snow, one beautiful rose and two exquisite ripe figs, and brought them to Rita. At her death all the bells in the town rang without human agency. She was beatified by Urban VIII., and was canonized in May 1900.
R.M. Lessons for her day, in the Breviary of the Order of St. Augustine. AA.SS. The Tablet, May 26, 1900.
St. Ritta, Rita.
B. Ritza, Aug. 30, V. Supposed 10th or 11th century. Nothing is known of her life. She is buried in the church of St. Castor, at Coblentz, where her festival used to be kept every year; but notwithstanding her numerous miracles, her worship, which can be traced to the twelfth century, is now somewhat neglected. AA.SS. Stadler.
St. Rivanona, 6th century. Mother of St. Hervé of Bretagne, who was born blind. Hyvarnion, a disciple of St. Kadoc, was one of the bards who sat at the table of Chilperic, king of the Franks (probably 513-517). Wandering through Bretagne, Hyvarnion saw a beautiful girl, with a complexion of dazzling pink and white, sitting by an enchanted fountain, gathering herbs to make cures for the ills of life. Having already seen her in a vision, he knew she was Rivanona, his destined wife. He asked what herbs she was gathering, and she told him she was looking for three more precious than all others—Vervain, which is good for a sad heart because it sprang at the foot of the cross of Christ; Sélage, which will cure blindness because it derives its light from the aureoles of the saints and none but a saint can find it; and the Flower of Life, which will cure death if you can find it. When Rivanona died, a ladder of light was seen above her oratory, and angels were heard singing up and down the ladder. Villemarqué, Légende celtique. (See Christina (5).)
St. Rivocata, Revocata.
St. Rixa, Richa, Richense, Richeye, Richeza, Richissa, Ricza, Rikscha or Ryxa, May 21, queen of Poland, + 1063. Eldest of the seven daughters of Herenfried or Ezo, count palatine of the Rhine, and his wife, B. Matilda, daughter of the Emperor Otho II. The marriage of her parents had been arranged under peculiar and romantic circumstances, and her own history was no less out of the common. Dlugosch relates that in 1001 Otto III. was very ill, and hearing the fame of the miracles of St. Adalbert, archbishop of Gnesen, he vowed that if that saint would cure him, he would visit his tomb. He recovered and set out for Gnesen, intending at the same time to pay a visit to Boleslaus, duke of Poland, who had redeemed for its weight in gold, the body of St. Adalbert from his murderers, the heathen Prussians. Boleslaus gave the Emperor a magnificent reception at Posnania, and as Otto's vow obliged him to go on foot to Gnesen, seven miles, Boleslaus had the whole of the road laid with cloth of various colours, so that the Emperor and his retinue should not step on the ground. Boleslaus walked with him and had a grand gathering of bishops, nobles, and great ladies, magnificently dressed and blazing with jewels, to receive them in Gnesen. Thus Otto went to the holy tomb and returned thanks for his recovery. Boleslaus took care to entertain him and all his attendants sumptuously and hospitably during every day of their stay, and presented them with cups of gold and silver, hawks, horses, furs, jewels, and purple vestments. Otto was astonished at the grandeur of this sovereign of a people who but yesterday were heathen savages; he was like the Queen of Sheba when she beheld the grandeur of Solomon. He desired to give the duke some reward, and pay him some compliment worthy of such a splendid and hospitable reception, so he ordered him to be
