The year 2025 marks the 125th anniversary of the Canonization of Saint Rita by Pope Leo XIII during the Great Jubilee Year of 1900. In just a few years, Saint Rita became one of the most popular saints, with countless Christians seeking her intercession before God in the most difficult cases. The fact that she experienced various states of life and, in each state, managed to be a sign of hope through her conduct makes her a saint so close to her devotees. The heroic way in which she lived the events of her life—as a young woman, a married woman, a mother, a widow, and even as a religious—makes her a living example of hope and peace.
She is a woman who, with great trust in the Lord, teaches us to look beyond all burdens that to our eyes seem impossible. This is also the hope that the Jubilee we are celebrating this year as a Church invites us to reflect upon.
The Maltese Augustinian Province will be celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Canonization of the Augustinian Saint with various initiatives, starting with the First Thursday of Devotion, which will be celebrated on January 30, 2025. The tradition of the Fifteen Thursdays of Saint Rita, leading up to her feast and celebrated in all Augustinian churches, is linked to the fifteen years during which Saint Rita bore the thorn she received from the crucified Christ on her forehead.
On the day of the First Thursday, the Very Reverend Provincial Fr. Leslie Gatt O.S.A. will inaugurate the celebrations with a Mass at the Parish Church of Saint Augustine in Valletta at 9:30 a.m., and at the Church of Saint Augustine in Victoria, Gozo, at 6:00 p.m.
The Jubilee celebrations will reach their peak on Thursday, May 22, the Feast Day of the Saint, with a celebration presided by His Excellency Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna at the Parish Church of Saint Augustine, the national centre of devotion to her. This will be followed by a procession with the devout statue of Saint Rita through the streets of Valletta.
It is worth noting that the same Church of Saint Augustine has been designated as one of the churches where the Plenary Indulgence can be obtained during this Jubilee Year of 2025. On the same Feast Day, a similar celebration, including a procession with the statue of the saint, will also take place at the Church of Saint Augustine in Victoria, Gozo.
On Saturday, May 24, the exact day marking the 125th anniversary of the saint’s canonization, a celebration will be held at the Church of Saint Mark in Rabat, followed by a procession through the surrounding streets.
Additionally, the feast will also be celebrated in every Augustinian church on different dates. Further details about the celebrations in these churches and other initiatives will be announced in due course.
Meanwhile, for this occasion, a pilgrimage to Cascia, where Saint Rita lived and where her relics are venerated, is being organized from March 19 to 23. Those interested are encouraged to contact Mr. Lawrence Sciberras at +356 79262249, Mr. Francis Masini at +356 79054697, or Fr. Adeodato Schembri at +356 99475794. (The pilgrimage will also include visits to Rome, Assisi, and Loreto.)
