St. Rita of Cascia
19th or 20th century
Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e Martiri, Rome
The crucifix in St. Rita's hands refers to her nightly meditations on the Passion of Christ. One night, as a sign of Christ's favor, a piece from the Crown of Thorns pierced her forehead, leaving the wound pictured here. Statues of St. Rita are common in European and American churches and all follow the pattern shown here: the saint gazes at a crucifix in her hands, wears exactly this style of habit, and has a wound on her forehead.
Read more about images of Saint Rita.
Photographed at the church by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.