Sister Rita Laberge (Sister M. Ignatia)

November 16, 1926 – December 25, 2015
It is with deep sadness that the Sisters of St. Joseph announce the death of Sister Rita Laberge (Sister M. Ignatia) on December 25, 2015 at St. Joseph’s Motherhouse, North Bay, Ontario. Sister Rita was born in her paternal grandfather’s home in Copper Cliff, Ontario.  Rita grew up in a family of eleven children, seven boys and four girls.  She was the eldest child in the second family of three children.  She attended public school in Levack, Ontario and high school at St. Joseph’s College, North Bay, Ontario. Rita entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie, on August 16, 1943.  She selflessly and lovingly served the sisters and the people in the communities where she was assigned as homemaker and cook.  Her welcoming personality and delicious meals brought many a visitor from the local community to share at a table of love.  Rita began her ministry journey in Little Current in 1945, followed by ministry assignments in Killarney, Port Arthur (Thunder Bay), North Bay, Nipigon, White River, and Sudbury. Following clinical pastoral education study in 1976, Rita served on the pastoral care team at St. Joseph’s Hospital, North Bay and returned to Sudbury in 1981 where she worked in pastoral care at the Sudbury General.  It was here that Rita was invited by Peggy Anne Keaney to be a pioneer member of the founding of the L’Arche community home, ‘Emmaus House’ which opened in 1982.  Rita served at Emmaus House for the next nine years.  This was followed by sabbatical and renewal time at the School of Applied Theology in Berkeley, California.  In 1993, Rita returned to the L’Arche community family and served at ‘Galilee House’, in Sudbury.  In 2000, following eighteen years of loving, dedicated service companioning and living with people with developmental disabilities Rita officially retired.  Sister Rita has been a vibrant, hospitable and active member of the Motherhouse community in North Bay since 2002. Sister Rita is predeceased by her mother Margaret Lacroix and her father Peter Joseph Laberge, brothers; Wilfred, Joseph, Oscar, Steve, Peter, Ralph and sisters; Faustina, Veronica and Azilda.  She is survived by her loving brother Theodore (Bud) and sister-in-law Eileen (Fearn) and several nieces, nephews and their families. Sister Rita will be remembered as a woman who had a huge, welcoming heart for everyone.  Her spirit of welcome was at the core of her being.  In whatever ministry Rita was invited to serve, there was love.  A testimonial of that love was echoed by the Galilee L’Arche community (Sudbury) when they named her ‘grandmother’ of L’Arche! The body of Sister Rita will be received at St. Joseph’s Motherhouse at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, December 28, 2015.  Everyone is welcome to join the congregation for a prayer vigil, held in the Holy Family Chapel at 7:00 p.m., Monday evening.  Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated in the Sacred Heart Chapel (2025 Main Street West, North Bay) at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, December 29, 2015. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, North Bay, Ontario.
May Sister Rita rest in peace.