Sister Rita Collins, Ssnd, 86, Worked At St. Mary Parish In Norwalk

WILTON, Conn. - Sister Rita Collins, School Sisters of Notre Dame, of Wilton, died May 22. She was 86.

Sr. Collins was born April 25, 1928, in Watertown, Conn., she was the daughter of Conrad Collins and Mary (Lampron) Collins, of Montreal and Three Rivers, Canada, respectively.

After pronouncing her vows as a School Sister of Notre Dame in 1950, she began teaching at St. Boniface School in Philadelphia, Pa. She also taught in Catholic schools in Westbury and Sayville, N.Y. She taught at the following schools in Connecticut.: St. John Nepomucene, Bridgeport; St. Gregory the Great, Danbury, as principal; St. Lawrence, Huntington; and St. John the Evangelist, Watertown. Her last ministry was in Pastoral Care at St. Mary Parish in Norwalk. In 2007, Sister retired at Villa Notre Dame in Wilton. She moved to Lourdes in 2010.

Sr. Collins is survived by her sisters, Evette Rayel, Waterbury. Conn. and Lil Deschenes, Summerfield, Fla.; brothers, Armand Collins, Conyers, Ga. and Conrad Collins, Barton, Vt.; family members; friends; and community, the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Calling hours are Tuesday, May 27 from 3 to 7:30 p.m. at Villa Notre Dame, 345 Belden Hill Road in Wilton, Conn. with a Christian wake service at 6 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. May 28, in the Chapel at Villa Notre Dame. Burial will follow at St. Mary Cemetery, Bethel, Conn.

Memorial contributions may be made to the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Atlantic-Midwest Province, c/o Mission Advancement Office, 345 Belden Hill Road, Wilton, CT 06897.

Arrangements are by Bracken-Donovan-Spodnick of Bridgeport, 1041 Noble Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06608.

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