Sr. Rebecca Hite, directed St. Elizabeth Ann Seton shrine

Sister Rebecca Hite died May 17 at Seton Residence in Evansville, Ind. She was 87 and had recently celebrated 70 years in her vocation as a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.

Born in New Orleans on Nov. 13, 1926, Sister Rebecca was one of six children born to Morgan Dudley and Lucy Elizabeth Young Hite. After graduating from Holy Name of Jesus High School in New Orleans, she entered the Daughters of Charity in St. Louis, Mo., in December 1943. She earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Fontbonne College (now University) in St. Louis in 1949, and completed a master’s degree in 1965 as a reading specialist at Cardinal Stritch College in Milwaukee.

In 1945, Sister Rebecca began a life of service in various ministries of the Daughters of Charity, first as an elementary teacher at Holy Trinity School in Dallas, and later as a group mother at St. Mary’s Orphanage and teacher at Cathedral Grade School, both in Natchez, Miss. She was a group mother and special education teacher at St. Pius X Home and School in Kansas City, Mo., and a special education teacher at Marillac Center in Kansas City, Mo., before serving as director of the Archdiocesan Reading Clinic in St. Louis from 1965-76. Sister Rebecca later was administrator at Marywood Home of the Holy Infancy in Austin, Texas, assistant administrator at Marillac Provincial House in St. Louis, and worked in health ministry as a tumor registrar at St. Paul Medical Center in Dallas. In 1993, she served as a docent at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Md., later becoming the shrine’s administrator. In 1996, she was missioned to Waco, Texas, where she served as a volunteer in the Home Health Care Office and a receptionist at the former Marillac Provincialate. Subsequent posts included serving from 2004-05 in the business office at Daughters of Charity Services of New Orleans, and the Home Health Program of Providence Healthcare Network in Hewitt, Texas. Sister Rebecca entered a ministry of prayer in 2008 at Seton Residence, serving there until the time of her death.

Sister Rebecca is survived by many nieces and nephews, her sisters in community and many friends.

A wake service was celebrated May 20 and a Mass of the Resurrection on May 21 at the Seton Residence chapel. Interment was at St. Joseph Cemetery in Evansville.

Donations in Sister Rebecca’s memory may be made to the Daughters of Charity, 4330 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo., 63108.