Submitted by: Dan Rich

Sister M. Rita Houser CSC

March 11, 1913 - June 19, 2000

South Bend Tribune 6/20/2000

Sister M. Rita [of Cascia] (Coletta Katherine Houser) CSC, 87, died on Monday, June 19, in Basil Moreau Convent, South Bend, Ind. Sister M. Rita was born on March 11, 1913, to the late Frederick and Mary Katherine Murren Houser in Youngstown, Ohio.

She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1931, made her first profession in 1934, and her final profession in 1937. Sister M. Rita was an elementary school teacher from 1931 to 1944, teaching in Indiana, New York, Texas, Maryland, Ohio and Washington, D.C. She then taught junior high school from 1944 to 1978 in schools in Maryland, Texas, North Carolina and Virginia. Sister returned to Notre Dame in 1978 where she assisted in the Generalate as receptionist. 1981 found her in Silver Spring, Md., in the prayer ministry, and she returned to Notre Dame and Saint Mary's to be receptionist for the Sisters of the Holy Cross as a volunteer in service to the community, and her last years active in the ministry of prayer at Basil Moreau Convent, South Bend.

Sister Rita was the last of 10 siblings, five of whom, three brothers and one sister and herself, were members of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Sister M. Rita is survived by her nieces, Margaret Sullivan and Rose Anita Jeswald, both of Youngstown, Ohio.

Wake service will be held at 7 p.m. today, June 20, in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, Ind. Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 21, in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto, Saint Mary's, followed by interment at Queen of Peace Cemetery, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, Ind. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Cross Ministry with the Poor Fund, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, IN 46556. The Kaniewski Funeral Home is handling arrangements