Dominican Sister of Peace Rita Imelda Sullivan (85) died at the Mohun Health Care Center in Columbus, OH, on January 5, 2020.
Sr. Rita Imelda was born in Somerville, MA, to Catherine Clark and Francis Sullivan. She entered the Congregation in 1953 and would have celebrated her 65th year of religious life in 2020.
Sr. Rita Imelda earned her Associate of Arts degree from St. Catharine College, and began her ministry as an elementary school teacher in West Virginia. But she felt called to a ministry in healthcare, and returned to study at the Saints Mary and Elizabeth School of Technology, where she gained certification as a Registered Medical Technician. She worked in the field for a decade, then earned her Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology/Biology from Spaulding College in Louisville, KY.
Sr. Rita Imelda went on to become a member of the National Registry of Medical Technologists and served as a medical professional and instructor in Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Tennessee.
Sr. Rita Imelda was a dedicated medical professional, but she also knew the importance of healing the souls of the sick and suffering. She earned her Chaplain Certificate at the National Association of Catholic Chaplains in 1991 and served as a Chaplain in Louisiana and Tennessee. She brought this ministry to the Sisters in her Community as well, serving as a Chaplain at Rosary Manor in Watertown, MA. She also served the Congregation as the Caretaker at Rosary Manor, and volunteered at the Dominican Academy in New York City.
Sr. Rita Imelda was a true itinerant Dominican, always willing to go where the work needed to be done, always ready for a new adventure in her ministry to God and the Church.
Sr. Rita Imelda Sullivan was preceded in death by her parents Francis and Catherine Clark Sullivan, her sister, Margaret Wenger, and her brother, Dr. Philip Sullivan. She is survived by her sister, Frances Reinfrank.
A Vigil of Remembrance Service was held on January 14, 2020, at the Dominican Sisters of Peace Motherhouse Chapel in Columbus, OH. The funeral liturgy was held at the Dominican Sisters of Peace Motherhouse Chapel on Wednesday, January 15, followed by burial at St. Joseph Cemetery by Egan Ryan Funeral Home.
Memorial gifts in Sister Rita Imelda’s memory may be sent to the Dominican Sisters of Peace, Office of Mission Advancement, 2320 Airport Drive, Columbus, OH, 43219.
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