It all began in Nice in 1844 at the Church of the Annunciation. This church was entrusted to the pastoral care of the Congregation of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary (OMV) by Mgr Galvano, bishop of Nice, and later moved to Fontenay-aux-Roses in the Île-de-France region, at the invitation of the bishop of Paris.
At the time, Nice had not yet become part of France, and devotion to Saint Rita had not yet been introduced. It was Father Andrea Bianco (1900-1970), omv, who, in 1935, introduced devotion to Saint Rita into the church by installing a beautiful statue of the Saint in one of the side chapels and inviting the faithful to get to know and pray to her. Since then, the church, whose Titular is still Our Lady of the Annunciation, is better known as the Church, Chapel or Shrine of Saint Rita. Saint Rita, celebrated every year on May 22, is the patron saint of hopeless cases, “the saint of impossible causes”.
Faced with this influx of faithful and afflicted people in Nice, the Oblates of the Virgin Mary of Nice thought it would be a good idea to found a chapel dedicated to Saint Rita in the Paris region, especially as the request had already been made by some of the faithful. So, in 1959, they decided to establish a community in Fontenay-aux-Roses. They first built a student residence, the Résidence Universitaire Lanteri, named after their founder, Pio Bruno Lanteri, and then the chapel dedicated to Rita in 1990, consecrated on November 21, 1992 by Mgr François Favreau, then Bishop of Nanterre.
At the same time in Nice, Father Paolo Calliari omv, founded the ” Revue Sainte Rita ” in 1958, which was soon distributed throughout France. Even today, the Nice Oblate community continues to publish this monthly review.
And so, since 1992, the Oblates of the Virgin Mary have had pastoral charge of the Chapelle-sanctuaire Sainte Rita. In the spirit of their founder, Pio Bruno Lanteri, the Oblates welcome the faithful who come here to celebrate and deepen their Christian faith: Eucharistic celebrations, confessions, adoration, retreats and spiritual accompaniment, formation sessions, and many other activities. In 2020, Mgr Rougé, Bishop of Nanterre, elevated Sainte Rita’s chapel to the status of a sanctuary, along with Notre-Dame Church in Boulogne-Billancourt, Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Church in Clichy-la-Garenne, Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Délivrance Church in Neuilly-sur-Seine and Sainte-Geneviève Cathedral in Nanterre.
So many people come to implore God’s help through the powerful intercession of Saint Rita of Cascia, the patron saint of “desperate causes”. Many also come to give thanks for a favor obtained.
Votre soutien nous aide à poursuivre les différentes activités de ce lieu de sanctuaire.
Demandez au Sanctuaire de Sainte Rita une messe pour vos intentions, commémorant l’Eucharistie et la présence du Christ.
Des cierges brûlent sans cesse , symbolisant nos prières et remerciements pour que nos vies deviennent lumière.
Sainte Rita, Saine patronne des causes perdues, accueille vos intentions et remerciements, et que la charité fraternelle renforce notre prière.
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