Sisters of Notre Dame Leader Dies
The School Sisters of Notre Dame in Wilton lost their local leader, Sister Rita Goodman, who died Oct. 13 in Norwalk Hospital at the age of 77. She served at the Provincialate in Wilton since 2005.
Sister Rita oversaw the day-to-day pastoral and administrative needs at the Villa Notre Dame in Wilton since August 2005. Since becoming a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1956 she served as a psychologist in private and archdiocesan practice, a member of the SSND Provincial Council, an organizational consultant and a school teacher and principal.
She entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame after earning a bachelor's degree in English from the College of Notre Dame in Baltimore in 1954. She made her first vows and received her religious name, Peter Mary, two years later.
Sister Rita she spent her early years teaching throughout the northeast. In 1985, she was elected to the Provincial Council in the northeast and served out of Wilton for eight years. She then returned to her home state, New Jersey, to follow her ministry of psychology until coming back to Wilton as the order's local leader.
Sister Rita held both a master's degree in English and doctorate in counseling from St. Johns University in New York City.
She is survived by three nieces and five nephews.
A Mass was held on Oct. 16 at Villa Notre Dame. Burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery in Bethel.
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