Margaret Mary Rita, was born January 9, 1928 in Kansas City, KS and grew up in Kansas City, MO. Her father, Godfrey Charles Downey was a lawyer and her mother, Margaret Helen (Leary) was a housewife. She had two older brothers, Bob and Frank and two younger sisters who were twins - Mary Therese and Mary Jo.

She worked part time and full time from the age of 15. During summer vacations she was employed in various ways: as a baby-sitter, messenger for an insurance company, receptionist in an optical company, kitchen maid in a hospital and clerk in a department store. She enjoyed swimming, tennis, bowling and trips to the Lake of the Ozarks during her growing up years.

Rita graduated from Bishop Hogan High School where she played saxophone in the school band and orchestra, was active in dramatics and was vice-prefect of the girls’ Sodality. She went to college for one year at St. Mary’s, Leavenworth, KS and spent one semester of her sophomore year at St. Teresa’s College in Kansas City, now known as Avila College. She took classes in English and dramatics and worked part-time in the library during her college years. 

After leaving school she worked as a clerk at General Hospital until the time she entered the Congregation. After leaving college she belonged to a bridge club and sewing club. She also took a course in dramatics offered by the Resident Theatre at the Jewish Community Center and a course in radio production at the University of Kansas City.

In February of 1950 she made a retreat under Rev. Joseph Freeman, S.J. of Rockhurst College and it was under his guidance that she reached her decision to enter the religious life. She learned about the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration from a booklet on St. Gertrude printed by the community. Her parents made Holy Hours at the Kansas City Convent though she didn’t know it was the same congregation until after her acquaintance with Clyde.

Rita entered the postulancy at Clyde April 8, 1951. She made First Profession on October 5, 1952 and was given the religious name Sr. Mary Clarita. She returned to the name Rita when given that option in the post-Vatican II years. Final Profession was made on October 5, 1957 with Sr. M. Nichola Lauer, Sr. M. Anita Valdez and Sr. M. Benita Luetkemeyer as companions.

She lived in the following monasteries of our congregation throughout her religious life - Clyde, San Diego, Kansas City, Tucson, St. Louis, San Benito and Sand Springs. Over the years she worked in the Correspondent Department, Altar Bread Dept, and as portress and procuratrix. She also served as postulant director, subprioress in Kansas City in 1968 and prioress of Kansas City from 1978 - 1983.

Rita was always a lifelong learner and took classes at various times throughout her life. She took some undergrad courses at Conception Seminary College from 1971 - 1972. She completed a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson graduating in May, 1975 and a Master’s program in Counseling from the U. of Arizona graduating in May, 1977. She honed her creative skills by taking art classes while living in San Diego and also took castanet and flamenco dance classes during that time. She had the opportunity to visit Europe in the fall of 1983 for 3 months, traveling to England, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain and Italy.

Rita spent from 2007 to the spring of 2013 living in an Assisted Living Facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She then returned to Clyde, MO to live in Our Lady of Rickenbach Health Care Facility. She started to fail the week of November 11 and she died peacefully the morning of November 15, 2013 with Sr. Mary John Meyer keeping vigil with her. Sr. Rita was in her 85th year and her 61st year of Monastic Profession.