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 Sr. Rita Busch, OP
Golden Jubilarian
50 years (July 9, 1957)
Sr. Rita Busch likens her journey to St. Mary of the Springs to "The Hound of Heaven" of Francis Thompson's poem of the same title: her vocation pursued and pursued her before she finally gave in and entered the convent at age 31. Today she celebrates 50 years as a Dominican Sister, and is grateful for God's gentle prodding to the life she has come to love.
Sr. Rita was one of the 35 women from St. Lawrence O'Toole parish in Pittsburgh who over the years joined the community of Sisters who taught them in the parish school. Commenting on her experiences, she says, "Having Dominican Sisters throughout my grade and high school years exposed me to the influence of many Dominicans and led me to aspire to give back to God what the Sisters had given to me."
Like her mentors, Sr. Rita became an educator herself, teaching grade school, high school business courses, and history classes to students in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. In the midst of her teaching career, Sr. Rita also served as Treasurer at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT (1962-66) and at Ohio Dominican College (now University) in Columbus, OH (1967-77). She then served in the Diocese of Columbus as Secretary to Bishop Edward Herrmann from 1977 to 1980 and in the Office of Religious Education from 1981 to 1991. Later years saw Sr. Rita serving at St. Mary Parish in Lancaster, Ohio and as Development Director for St. Mary of the Springs. Today, she remains active as a volunteer.
In reflecting on 50 years as a Dominican Sister, Sr. Rita says it has been "an adventure with God, always knowing it is God who leads the way." Over the years, she has found the Dominican value of adapting to meet the changing needs of the world to be both demanding and enriching. "Dominican life today challenges us to embrace the countless needs of God's people," she explains. "Injustices demand action, and if not us, who will come forward?" |
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