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May 2012

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A Few Minutes With the Willitses

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By Interview by Judy Zarick

To listeners of SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel, Greg and Jennifer Willits are “The Catholics Next Door.” The couple, who have been married since 1995, are the proud parents of four sons (Sam, Walter, Ben and Tommy) and one daughter (Lily). They recently sat down with St. Anthony Messenger while they were in our studios recording their book The Catholics Next Door: Adventures in Imperfect Living. They talked about their mission, their faith and the challenges of passing the faith onto their children.

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Rita of Cascia: Like Elizabeth Ann Seton, Rita of Cascia was a wife, mother, widow and member of a religious community. Her holiness was reflected in each phase of her life.
<p>Born at Roccaporena in central Italy, Rita wanted to become a nun but was pressured at a young age into marrying a harsh and cruel man. During her 18-year marriage, she bore and raised two sons. After her husband was killed in a brawl and her sons had died, Rita tried to join the Augustinian nuns in Cascia. Unsuccessful at first because she was a widow, Rita eventually succeeded. </p><p>Over the years, her austerity, prayerfulness and charity became legendary. When she developed wounds on her forehead, people quickly associated them with the wounds from Christ's crown of thorns. She meditated frequently on Christ's passion. Her care for the sick nuns was especially loving. She also counseled lay people who came to her monastery. </p><p>Beatified in 1626, Rita was not canonized until 1900. She has acquired the reputation, together with St. Jude, as a saint of impossible cases. Many people visit her tomb each year.</p>

How am I supposed to believe what you are saying, if you don't believe it yourself? Preach with confidence and conviction, or sit down!

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