Benedictine Sister Rita (Anthony) Budig, 88, died Dec. 6 at Saint Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud. The Eucharist of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 12, at the Sacred Heart Chapel, Saint Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, with burial in the monastery cemetery. Friends may call at Saint Scholastica Convent on Monday, Dec. 11, for a prayer service at 3 p.m. followed by visitation until 4:15 p.m. or for a vigil prayer service at 7 p.m. at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. Visitation continues at 1 p.m. until the time of the funeral on Dec. 12.
The sixth child of Anthony and Lucy (Martin) Budig, Rita was born Dec. 24, 1934, in Wadena. She had two brothers and five sisters. She attended District #53 Grade School and Wadena Public High School in Wadena. Rita entered Saint Benedict’s Monastery Sept. 8, 1954, was received into the novitiate as Sister Anthony June 6, 1955, made first monastic profession July 11, 1956, and perpetual monastic profession July 11, 1959. Sister Rita celebrated her golden jubilee July 11, 2006, and her 60th jubilee in 2016. She returned to her baptismal name in 1968.
Sister Rita earned a bachelor’s degree in business education with minors in economics and secondary education at the College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph. She obtained a Minnesota Nursing Home Administrator’s license in 1973 and became a certified retirement housing professional in 1995. She also obtained a Certificate in Spiritual Direction in 2005.
From 1958 until 1973, Sister Rita served at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud in various areas in the business office, as well as supervisor of communications and director of admissions. She was administrator of Assumption Nursing Home in Cold Spring from 1973 to 1977, and administrator of Saint Benedict’s Senior Community Center in St. Cloud from 1977 to 1995. She also served as administrator of Saint Scholastica Convent and Monastic Health Services from 1996 to 2000. Following her career in administration, Sister Rita served on the spiritual ministries staff in hospitality and spiritual direction at Saint Benedict’s Monastery and coordinated their volunteer services.
Sister Rita is survived by members of her Benedictine community, her brother David (Doris), and her sister Carol (+Philip) Tabery, as well as nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother and sisters-in-law, Bernard (Katherine, Victoria), and sisters and brothers-in-law, Madonna (Raymond) Kern, Cecelia (Sylvester) Heltemes, Iris (Paul, Thomas) Meckel-Nyberg and Genevieve (Thomas) Uselman.
Please direct memorials to the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict Outreach Ministries.
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