Sister Maria Rita Ruddy, IHM

Sister Maria Rita Ruddy, IHM, of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Sunday, June 8, 1997, at the Marian Convent in Scranton, PA.

She was born on September 2, 1909 in Scranton, PA, and given the name Sarah. She was the daughter of the late Dennis J. and Anna V. Roche Ruddy. She entered the IHM Congregation on October 2, 1925, made temporary profession of her vows on December 27, 1927, and final profession of her vows on July 31, 1931.

Sister Maria Rita served as a teacher at the following schools: St. Mary Elementary School in Patton, PA, from 1927 to 1928; St. Raymond Elementary School in East Rockaway, NY, from 1928 to 1934; St. Alphonsus Elementary School in New York , NY, from 1934 to 1942; St. Matthew Elementary School in Wilmington, DE, from 1942 to 1945; St. Mary Elementary School in Manhasset, NY, from 1945 to 1959; St. Leo Elementary School in Ashley, PA, from 1959 to 1960; St. Ann Elementary School in Scranton, PA, from 1960 to 1972; St. Clare Elementary School in Scranton, PA, from 1972 to 1975; and Our Lady of Peace Elementary School in Clark’s Green, PA, from 1975 to 1981.

From 1989 until the time of her death, Sister Maria Rita was a prayer minister at the Marian Convent.

She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Marywood College.

She was preceded in death by two sisters, Kathleen (infant), and Sister M. Rose Angela Ruddy, IHM; and three brothers, Thomas E., Gerard A. and Dennis J.

She is survived by two nephews, Dennis Ruddy of East Stroudsburg, PA, and Thomas Ruddy of New Jersey; four nieces, Anna O’Brien and Mary Cummings, both of Long Beach, NY, Rosemarie Ruddy and Anne Ruddy; grandnieces and grandnephews.

The funeral will be Wednesday, June 11, at 10:30 a.m. with Mass at the Marian Convent. Interment will follow at St. Catherine’s Cemetery, Moscow, PA. Friends may call at the Marian Convent on Tuesday after 2:00 p.m.

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Archival Remembrance:

Into the lives of hundreds of children at a tender, impressionable age entered Sister Maria Rita, a teacher who lovingly taught the concepts of gentleness, compassion and sensitivity by her example.

Sr. Maria Rita’s gracious influence on the lives of her children often extended to parents and parishioners who knew her as a prayerful, caring companion on their spiritual journey. As an educator, she served in elementary schools In Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Between 1981 and 1989, her example of selfless giving was especially influential in the lives of the young women with whom she lived in the house of formation at the IHM Convent in Scranton. She carried that generous spirit to her last years at the Marian Convent where she served in prayer ministry and in service to her sisters.