SYNOPSIS of the Oratorio A Rose in Winter unfolds in two parallel stories: that of Saint Rita of Cascia, set in 15th century Italy, and a second one set in the present day, focusing on two pilgrims, Fideo and Tomas, whose chance meeting in Cascia during Holy Week prompts a series of tense conversations about the scope and limits of religious belief. Each of the oratorio’s movements begins with an encounter between the men and dissolves to a flashback from St. Rita’s life, th