Until then, the inhabitants of Vendeville, in the North, had no reason to be offended by the lack of notoriety of their village. However, this town of less than 2,000 souls attracts tens of thousands of people every year, pilgrims more precisely, around the sanctuary of Saint Rita, recognized patroness of “desperate causes and impossible missions”. But on Sunday, the parish took a step forward by obtaining the precious label “ sanctuary city », a recognition that only twenty-one French municipalities can claim, including Lourdes and Lisieux.
It does not start from nothing, Vendeville, and the enthusiasm of pilgrims for this destination is largely due to the presence of the sanctuary of Saint Rita. “It is naturally thanks to the sanctuary that many people pass through here and it is this influx of pilgrims which generates a very rich spiritual life in Vendeville,” recognizes Father Jean-Pierre Roussel, the village priest. Two masses a day, daily confessions, a place to listen, times of prayer, a church open every day in front of the sanctuary… Enough to make the surrounding priests envious. “There is no jealousy between us, in fact some priests from other parishes come to give mass or participate in confessions,” assures the abbot.
Visibility that will boost tourism
According to the town hall, in fact no less than 120,000 pilgrims are already welcomed by the town each year. A figure that will skyrocket. “According to estimates from the tourist office, attendance should increase by 40% with the visibility that this labeling brings us,” reports Father Roussel. That’s almost 170,000 people. Obviously, being on the same level as Lourdes, Lisieux or Mont Saint-Michel boosts business.
The infrastructure still needs to follow. At the tourist office, we welcome a “very structuring project” for the sector. For its part, the city hopes that this appointment “will contribute to transforming and improving” the territory. So many visions of a flourishing future that could quickly catch local and religious authorities by surprise. And if welcoming an influx of new pilgrims becomes mission impossible, there will always be time to say a word to Saint Rita.