Saint Rita of Cascia

AKA The Black Magic Mary

The Myth

"The BLACK MAGIC MARY"   Siquijor Island is one spooky place.It riddle with abandon churches and

unexplored cave and known throughout the Philippines for its black magic and mangkukulam, or traditional healers.The hair-raiser is a statue of a Virgin Black Mary of Maria, winding in about 15 km drive to the mountains from the port of Larena.

The Myth of Black Mary

Rita  Lotti was born in 1381 in a tiny hamlet of Reccaporena, near Cascia, in the Province of Umbria, special gift from God since she was born to them as they were already getting on in years.

The Lotti were a devout Christian couple, offering their daughter the witness of a strong faith of God and a practical example of Gospel pf Living, especially in their role as official peacemakers or reconcile among their fellow citizens. It should not have been surprising then that Rita,who share her parents strong faith and religious devotion, would have desire to dedicate her life to God as a nun. Expected, rather, was the response of Antonio and Amata, who preferred to see Rita married , and who , in fact, had arranged a suitable husband for her.

Though initially disappointed, Rita understood the choice to be the expression of God will for her and she consented. Both the civil and ecdeslastical climates at the time were not healthy one - frequent conflicts and family rivalries were routinely settled by the rule of vendetta on the social level- and the scandal of anti-popes and their rival bishop dominating their life of church. 

No one really know where and some myths originated. It was been said ,"myths and legends are born out of foolishness ". 

No one really knows how some myths originate. It has been said, “myths and legends are born out of foolishness”. Personally I believe that the origin of a lot of myths are strictly due to misconceptions or ignorance of the truth.

    When I first learned about the statue’s existence and the stories surrounding it, I was determined to find Sta. Rita. After a considerable amount of time and effort, I did eventually find the statue of Sta. Rita. I remember being captivated by the eyes. Also I can recall being surprised by its petite size. Much to my disappointment the few photos that I took to memorize the occasion were lacking the quality that I had hoped for.

    During our conversation, the father expressed how displeased he was with the falsehoods being told about Sta. Rita especially in Tourist Guide books.  He said that she was a Saint and that someone should debunk the erroneous evil stories.  The Father insisted that I hear the truth and told me the story of Sta. Rita.  I promised him that I would print the truth.

   In honor of my promise, here are two articles that I found on the Internet.