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Rita Lopes de Almeida was born on March 5, 1848, in Casalmedinho, Ribafeita, Viseu, Portugal. She was the fourth of five children of Manuel Lopes and Josefa de Jesus Almeida.
Her family was a deeply religious one. Usually, the family prayed the rosary every evening and had some spiritual reading. According to her biographers, even as a child, Rita had a special devotion to the Holy Family and cared about the pope and the problems he faced in this role.
When she was growing up, an anti-Catholic climate infiltrated Portugal. Catholic religious houses were closed, clergy were often attacked, and religious orders were not allowed to accept new members. It was in this climate that Rita yearned to become a religious sister, especially one doing missionary work.
As a young woman, Rita spent some time with the Benedictine sisters in Viseu City. They showed her one type of religious life. Rita did not join the Benedictines. Rather, she became a home missionary going from parish to parish as a lay person teaching people how to pray the rosary and encouraging people to make God and Church an integral part of their lives. Like all missionaries, Rita discovered that she was successful with some folks and not with others. There were some people so hostile to Rita’s work that they threatened to kill her.
As a young woman, Rita had her share of young men who wanted to date her, but she always turned them away, for she had decided that marriage was not her vocation.
When she was 29, Rita entered the one religious order for women that was still functioning legally in Portugal, the Sisters of Charity at Oporto. Unfortunately, Rita did not find what she was looking for with that group, so she left.
Soon, a wealthy family from her hometown helped her get a house in which she could begin her life’s work, that is, to help single mothers and their children. On September 24, 1880, Rita founded a new religious community, the Sisters of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. She then began a school for poor children in her parish and then opened more across Portugal. Sometimes, the local authorities close the schools.
In 1910, anti-Catholic persecution became especially pronounced, and Church properties were confiscated, foreign religious houses closed, and parochial schools closed. So, Rita and some her fellow sisters, along with some of the children in their care, disguised themselves as gypsies and went to live in the house of Rita’s parents. This house became their new base of operations. In religious life, Rita chose to be called Rita Amada de Jesus, Jesus, Beloved of Jesus. In her parents’ house, Rita and her group of sisters taught the children and cared for them.
In time, Rita sent most of the sisters to Brazil, where Portuguese is the national language. She was delighted to learn the sisters’ work there flourished.
Sister Rita died on January 6, 1913, in the same town in which she was born, Casalmedinho, Ribafeita, in the Diocese of Viseu.
Rita was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on May 28, 2006. Blessed Rita Lopes de Almeida’s feast day is January 6.
