Rita, one of two children of Harry Lavigne and Elizabeth Bestgen, was born on August 2, 1922, at St. Francis Hospital in Topeka, Kansas. She was a “home girl,” staying in her home parish of Assumption Church in Topeka from the time she was born until she entered the convent. She was baptized there on August 30, 1922, made her First Communion there on May 18, 1930, and was confirmed there on May 21, 1933. Even after she graduated from Hayden High School in 1940 and began a business career in Topeka, she would attend daily Mass at Assumption.
After high school, Rita won a scholarship to a business college and got her first job at Hill Packing Company. She worked there for five years and for another seven years at Meade Insurance Company. Toward the end of these years, Rita made a women’s retreat at Paola and was impressed with the Sisters’ prayerfulness and playfulness. She made the same retreat the next year and became determined to try this lifestyle.
Rita entered the Ursuline Sisters of Paola on Monday, September 8, 1952, at the age of 30. She was one of five to enter at that time. She became a novice on August 21, 1953, and was given the name Sister Mary Philip. She later returned to her baptismal name. Temporary vows of three years were taken on August 23, 1955, and her final profession was on Saturday, August 23, 1958.
As a Paola Ursuline, Sister Rita embarked on her academic and ministerial career. She earned a B.S. in education from Creighton University in 1962 and a master’s in business administration from the University of Notre Dame in 1968. Sister Rita began her ministry at Ursuline Academy in Paola, teaching in the Business Department from 1956-58. From there, she went to Holy Name Grade School in Kansas City, Kan., teaching 7th and 8th grades. From Holy Name, she went to Bishop Miege High School, once again teaching in the Business Department from 1962-1969.
In 1969, Sister Rita began her ministry at the just-established Lakemary Center in Paola for students with developmental challenges. She began working while the facility was being constructed and participated in the initial grant writing. She was the first Business Administrator and in August of 1982 became the Coordinator of Fiscal Services. She retired from Lakemary in June 1987.
Sister Rita returned to Holy Name School as secretary to the principal where she served until 1992. During this time, she was also elected to the Council and served in leadership from 1990 until 1994. In 1992, she returned to the Motherhouse in Paola and took on several roles: Coordinator of Retreat Ministry, organist for the community, and Coordinator of the Food Pantry located at the Motherhouse – a project of the Paola Association for Church Action (PACA). She was a tireless worker, serving the poor through the food pantry and as a member of PACA.
In 2000, Sister Rita was named Volunteer of the Year by ECKAN – the East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corporation – for her work with the poor. In 2008, she was honored by the Paola chapter of the Shamrock Study Club as their Woman of the Year for her “valuable contributions to our community, often without receiving recognition …for her efforts.” When the food pantry was moved from the Motherhouse in December of 2008 because of the pending move to Mount Saint Joseph, Sister Kathleen Condry, then superior, wrote a letter of gratitude to Sister Rita talking about how graciously she had served the poor through the food pantry, often called away from meals or prayer to fill food orders.
Sister Rita moved to Maple Mount in 2009, taking up residence in Saint Joseph Villa, continuing her life of service: helping play for liturgies and working in the Archives.
In an interview for the Paola community newsletter, “Signs of the Times,” in 1990, Sister Rita said the one word that would sum up her vocation was “service.” A quote she kept on her desk for years sums this up: “I shall pass this way but once; any good thing therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it; for I shall not pass this way again.”
Sister Rita died on September 17, 2015, at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital in Owensboro, Ky. A Mass of Christian Burial was held on September 21 and Sister was buried in the convent cemetery.