Sister Rita and five members of the maintenance department are shown getting things ready for this year’s Mount Saint Joseph picnic. Pictured with Sister Rita are, l. to r., John Teets, Rick Blandford, David Mehlbauer, Daniel Casey, and Paul Clouse.
“It was always special to see the children you are teaching awaken to the concepts that you are teaching and they learn them and then want to learn more,” says Sister Rita. “It was also special to be involved not only with the children in the school, but with the parish family and all the families. I worked mainly in the rural parishes and rural education is the love of my life – because you didn’t just teach at school. I was a basketball coach, I drove a school bus when needed, and helped to run the parish when we had no pastor. We took communion to the sick. We just did it all and we all thoroughly loved it because you were totally involved with all the people and did many things for everyone.”
Sister Rita’s life has taken her down some interesting roads. From tap dancing for veterans, playing basketball for the Assumption Rockets, 20 years in education, 11 years in business administration, to the unique position of plant administrator, overseeing the daily operations of the Mount Saint Joseph Motherhouse plant facilities, maintenance, security, grounds and farm. She has certainly lived an interesting life and the last five years may have been the most challenging.
As Dave Eby says, “I can’t imagine any sister anywhere in the country doing the job that Sister Rita does.”
And, as everyone agrees, she does it quite well.