s. mary rita essert

60th Jubilee

Sister Mary Rita, baptized Marlyn Ann, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1951 and was received into the novitiate in 1952. She received a bachelor’s degree in English from Fontbonne College in 1962 and a master’s degree in English from Marquette University in 1967.


In the 1950s and 60s Sister Mary Rita taught at St. Teresa of Avila and Holy Name School. She taught in Indiana and returned to St. Louis in 1966 to teach at St. Joseph’s Academy, where she worked until 1978 as assistant principal and resource center coordinator.

In the 1970s she served as director of the Frontenac Retirement Community for the Sisters of St. Joseph. Her ministry took her to Houston, Texas to serve at St. Rose of Lima parish as a tutor and RCIA director.

In 1985, after tutoring for three years in Peoria, Illinois, she came back to St. Louis as the personnel assistant at Nazareth Living Center, where she still serves today.

 

Since 1985 Sister Mary Rita has served as the personnel assistant for Nazareth Living Center in South Country.





Service outside the Archdiocese:

Sister has served in Illinois, Indiana and Texas