Each Day of the Novena, you will receive: A Daily Reflection A Short Prayer Novena ThemesDay 1: Renewed Hope (Don Bosco&#039;s early life and dream at nine)Day 2: Over Hills and Valleys (Don Bosco childhood and adolescence) Day 3: Stepping Stones (Don Bosco&#039;s return home and entering the seminary)Day 4: Helping the “Outcasts” (Pre-Oratory)Day 5: Welcome to the Oratory (Beginning of the Oratory at Valdocco)Day 6: Trust All to Divine Providence (Working through money issues and with benefactors)Day 7: The Beginning of Beautiful Partnerships (Establishing the Salesian Society, Salesian Sisters [with St. Mary Mazzarello], and Salesian Cooperators)Day 8: Nothing by Ourselves (Don Bosco: “I have done nothing by myself. It is the Virgin Mary who has done everything.” / We can do all things to, for, and with God)Day 9: Let the Young Know They Are Loved (Don Bosco&#039;s final words and lasting legacy) Who are the Salesians of Don Bosco, SUE?The Salesians of Don Bosco (SDBs) are a family of men and women founded by an Italian Catholic priest, Fr. John Bosco. Fr. John Bosco was popularly known as “Don” Bosco, using the Italian word &#34;Don&#34; to mean &#34;Father&#34; Bosco.Our mission is to be in the Church signs and bearers of the love of God for young people, especially those who are poor (Salesian Constitution, 2).After the example of our founder, we animate and form collaborators to share in this mission of the Church.By our consecration, the Salesians of Don Bosco, Province of St. Philip the Apostle, are called to be signs and bearers of God&#039;s love for the young in the Eastern United States and Canada (SUE).

Become a Pilgrim of Hope with Don Bosco

Dear St. John Bosco, as we enter this Jubilee year as pilgrims of hope, help us be voices for those most needing them, especially the young and the poor. Give us the courage, strength, and fortitude to always speak up for the most vulnerable while simultaneously seeing God in everyone whom we encounter. May our young people learn how to do this and be not only “Good Christians and Honest Citizens,” but bearers of truth, light, love, faith, and hope, too.

O holy St. John Bosco, who taught us that everyone can be holy and a saint, especially the young, please pray for us and our intentions. (Pause for a moment of silence to offer private intentions for St. John Bosco's intercession) May we follow your advice to “Trust all things to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary Help of Christians” and “see what miracles are.” In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

(Recite an Our Father, a Haily Mary, and a Glory Be)

Mary Help of Christians, pray for us! St. John Bosco, pray for us!

Join us in praying a novena to Saint Carlo Acutis, a role model for holiness in the digital age! If you&#039;ve ever wondered how to live out your faith in a world filled with technology, social media, and constant distractions, this novena is for you! Blessed Carlo Acutis was a young Italian teenager who embraced the internet and digital tools to spread love for the Eucharist and devotion to God. Though he loved video games and computers, he understood that technology should be a means to bring people closer to Christ, not a distraction from Him. His life is a powerful testament that sainthood is possible today, even in our modern world. We are a group of Catholics interested in learning from St. Carlo about his toolkit for living holiness in the modern age: with access to the internet, cell phones, computers and video games. It is possible to be a saint in our modern age. Allow St. Carlo Acutis to speak to your heart.   Over nine days, we will reflect on key aspects of Carlo&#039;s life and faith, including:<ul><li>His love for the Eucharist</li><li>His devotion to the Blessed Mother</li><li>His use of technology for evangelization</li><li>His kindness and care for the poor</li><li>His deep trust in God&#039;s plan</li></ul> Each day of the novena will offer a short reflection on an aspect of Carlo&#039;s life, a prayer, and an opportunity to bring our own intentions before God through his intercession.Let Blessed Carlo Acutis inspire you to grow in holiness and use the tools of today to build a bridge to heaven.

Novena to Carlo Acutis - A Saint for the Digital Age

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen

Hail Mary, full of grace.
Our Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen. 

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. 
Amen. 

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&#039;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!<h3> </h3><h2>Program</h2>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&#039;s conversion Day 4: Hope in becoming like Christ – Dying a Christian death Day 5: Hope in God&#039;s promises – Entering the monastery: a grace from heaven Day 6: Hope through obedience – The miracle of the vine Day 7: Hope in God&#039;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<h3> </h3><h3>The Sanctuary of Saint Rita in Vendeville</h3>The reflections in this novena are offered by Father Jean-Pierre Roussel, rector of the <a href="https://sanctuairesainterita-vendeville.fr/">Sanctuary of Saint Rita in Vendeville</a>, 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.

Saint Rita, Give Me Hope

Blessed Saint Rita,
You who always placed your trust in God,
You who knew how to love
And forgive in the name of Christ,
Letting yourself be guided each day
By the light of the Holy Spirit,
Hear the prayer we humbly and confidently offer you.
Intercede for us before God,
All-Powerful and Merciful.
May He grant us peace of heart,
So that we, like you,
May live in faith and love,
Without ever losing hope.
Then one day, we too may reach,
With you and all the saints,
The eternal joy of communion
With the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.