Sister Rita Cain, OSB, 1932-2022

Sister Rita M. Cain, OSB, 89, of St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, IL, passed away Thursday June 2, 2022 at St. Mary Monastery. In accordance with Sr. Rita's wishes, her body has been donated for scientific study.

A Christian Wake Service, without Visitation, will be 7:00 p.m. Monday June 13, at St. Mary Monastery, and a Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island. Both of these will be live-streamed through the Benedictine Sisters of St. Mary Monastery Facebook page. Inurnment will be at a later date at Calvary Cemetery, Rock Island. Arrangements are entrusted to Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Milan, IL. Memorials may be made to St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, IL.

Rita Cain was born August 20, 1932 in Ivesdale, IL, a daughter of Joseph and Julia Donovan Cain. She attended Casey Public School Colfax Township, St. Joseph Secondary School, Ivesdale, and graduated from St. Mary's Academy, Nauvoo, IL. She received her B.S. in Music Education from University of Illinois, Champaign, IL. She received her M.S. in Religious Studies from St. John's University, Collegeville, MN, and did post-graduate studies at Iowa State University, Ames, and University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA.

Sister Rita entered the Benedictine community on August 15, 1950 and made her profession as a Benedictine Sister on August 22, 1952.

Sister Rita's ministry included teaching at St. Thomas More, Munster, IN; in Illinois at St. Mary's, Moline, St. Boniface, Peoria, and St. John the Baptist, Clinton. She served as Director of Religious Education at St. John Vianney, Bettendorf, IA, from 1970 – 1973, and Director of Adult Education, Diocese of Davenport, 1974. From 1975-1998, she worked with the Iowa Department of Social Services in the area of family therapy. Upon retirement, she served as Archivist, along with other roles at St. Mary Monastery.

She is survived by her Benedictine Sisters; two sisters, Mary Pat (Imelda) Cain and Sheila Cain Butler; brother-in-law, Don Butler; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, John Cain, Paul Cain, Carroll Cain; and sisters, Mae Loomis, Myrtle Strickland, Catherine Krupa, Joan Marzullo, Regina Schumacher, and Patricia Jackson.

Online condolences may be expressed at wheelanpressly.com.