Saint Rita, Give Me Hope

As the Church invites us to live the 2025 Jubilee Year under the sign of Hope, we turn to Saint Rita, the saint of impossible causes, to rekindle in our hearts this virtue that gives us the strength to persevere.

And for good reason—Saint Rita knew suffering in many forms: forced into marriage with a violent man, she later lost both of her sons. As a widow, she faced great opposition when she sought to enter the convent.

Yet through it all, she never lost her trust in God. Amid life's trials, she continued to hope, finding in Him the source of her peace.

This novena invites us to follow her example. With her, let us welcome the grace of this Jubilee Year, and allow Hope to shine in our hearts!

Program

Day 1: The hope that God will reveal Himself – “What will become of this child?”
Day 2: Hope shaken – Disappointment
Day 3: Hope through perseverance – Paul's conversion
Day 4: Hope in becoming like Christ – Dying a Christian death
Day 5: Hope in God's promises – Entering the monastery: a grace from heaven
Day 6: Hope through obedience – The miracle of the vine
Day 7: Hope in God's love – Union with Christ
Day 8: Hope through grace – Pilgrimage to Rome, the Jubilee Year
Day 9: Hope in Heaven – The goodness of God

The Sanctuary of Saint Rita in Vendeville

The reflections in this novena are offered by Father Jean-Pierre Roussel, rector of the Sanctuary of Saint Rita in Vendeville, located near Lille, France.

A major pilgrimage site, the church houses a relic of Saint Rita—a small fragment of bone—gifted by the Basilica of Cascia in Umbria, Italy, where she has rested since her death in 1457.

Since then, the people of Vendeville have had a deep devotion to her, and many pilgrims continue to come seeking her powerful intercession.