Sometimes, life places us in situations where every human solution seems to have disappeared. We make plans, we search for alternatives, and we do everything within our power, but there comes a moment when we realize that what we need is beyond our control. That was my experience in Italy last month.
I had traveled to Rome, Italy to take care of my documents and, most importantly, to obtain my R-1 re-entry visa from the United States Consulate. My intention was to return to the United States in time for the inauguration Mass and “Open House” at St. Rita School for the Deaf on Sunday, August 16. However, there was a serious obstacle.
I checked the appointment availability at the four American Consulates in Italy: Rome, Naples, Florence, and Milan. The first available appointment I could find was August 24. That date was far too late. If I accepted that appointment, there was no reasonable way for me to return to the United States in time for the August 16 celebration. I had reached what seemed to be a dead end.
Turning to St. Rita.
At that moment, I remembered St. Rita of Cascia, the Saint traditionally known as the patron of impossible and difficult causes and of whom, our school for the Deaf is named after. I began a novena to St. Rita. My prayer was simple: I asked her to intercede for me and obtain what seemed impossible, a visa appointment early enough that I could complete the process, receive my passport, and return to the United States before August 16. I was not simply praying from a distance. I had the opportunity to go to Cascia, the city where St. Rita lived, died, and was buried. I visited her tomb and stood before the place where her earthly journey had come to an end. There, I presented my impossible situation to her. I asked St. Rita to intercede for me. I asked her to make a way where I could not see one. Then, I waited.
The Unexpected Openings.
Every morning, I would log onto the website of the American Consulate in Naples to check for an appointment. The first available appointment remained August 24. Meanwhile, I kept checking. Then something unexpected began to happen. From time to time, an appointment would suddenly become available because someone had canceled. I would find the opening and immediately take it. Little by little, the date moved closer. From August 24, I was able to move my appointment forward. Then closer and closer. Eventually, I was able to secure an appointment for August 11. The significance of this was not lost on me. The American Consulate in Naples is the closest Consulate to Cascia, the city connected with St. Rita’s life, where I had visited her tomb and asked her to intercede for me. What had appeared impossible was beginning to unfold.
August 11.
On August 11, I went for my visa appointment and interview. This was my last opportunity to schedule an appointment and complete the process on time. I had no guarantee of what would happen. In fact, I had prayed, I had trusted, and I had done everything I could. I went forward with faith. Additionally, by the grace of God, and through what I believe was the intercession of St. Rita of Cascia, everything came together. Then came the moment I had been praying for. On Friday, August 14, I picked up my passport. I had my visa. That door which had seemed firmly closed had opened.
August 15: A Journey Home
The following day, August 15, the Church celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On that day, I flew back to the United States. I arrived in time and celebrated the Feast of Assumption Mass. The next day, Sunday, August 16, I was able to preside over the inauguration Mass and “Open House” at St. Rita School for the Deaf. What initially seemed impossible had become possible.
These dates tell the story:
August 11: Visa interview.
August 14: Passport received.
August 15: Flight back to the United States.
August 16: Present and presided over the inauguration Mass and “Open House” at St. Rita School for the Deaf. I had asked St. Rita to help me return before August 16 and she did it.
Coincidence or Providence?
Someone might look at this story and say, “People cancel appointments every day.” That is true. Someone might say, “You were fortunate to find those openings.” That may also be true. Faith, however, allows us to see events through another lens. For me, the repeated appearance of canceled appointments, the ability to move my appointment from August 24 all the way to August 11, the proximity of the U.S Consulate in Naples to Cascia where St. Rita was born and buried, and the fact that I received my passport on August 14 and returned home on August 15 all became part of something much greater than a travel itinerary. I experienced it as an answer to prayer. I cannot explain every detail. I do not claim to understand how God works through the intercession of the saints. However, I know what I prayed for. I know how impossible the situation appeared. I know what happened, and I know what I believe.
The Saint of Impossible Causes.
St. Rita’s own life was filled with situations that appeared impossible. She experienced suffering, loss, rejection, and circumstances beyond her control. Yet she remained faithful to God. Perhaps that is why so many people turn to her when they have nowhere else to turn.
My journey to Rome, Italy began as a journey to obtain documents and a visa. It became something much more. It became a journey of faith. I went to Cascia carrying an impossible request. I stood before the tomb of St. Rita and asked her to intercede for me. I left without knowing how my prayer would be answered. Sometimes faith means praying before you can see the answer. Sometimes faith means checking the website one more time. Sometimes faith means taking the appointment that suddenly appears. Sometimes faith means trusting God with what you cannot control, and sometimes, when the door finally opens, you look back and realize that the journey itself has become a testimony.
A Miracle of Grace.
For me, the miracle of St. Rita was not simply that an appointment became available. The deeper miracle was the gift of hope when I had almost none. I began this journey believing that I would probably miss an important moment at the school for the Deaf. I ended it sitting on a plane back to the United States on the Feast of the Assumption, knowing that I would be present at St. Rita School for the Deaf the following day. I had asked St. Rita for the impossible. What seemed impossible became possible. Was it a coincidence? Was it providence? Was it the intercession of St. Rita? I leave that for you to judge.
Be that as it may, this experience strengthened my faith and reminded me that when all human possibilities seem exhausted, we should never underestimate the power of prayer. St. Rita, Saint of impossible causes, pray for us. May those who find themselves facing their own impossible situations never lose hope.
Fr. Charles Onumaegbu
Chaplain, Deaf Ministry