'She was a gift'

Sister Rita Desrosiers, 92, spent decades assisting, caring for St. Amant residents

By: Kevin Rollason

Even to her family, Sister Rita Desrosiers was a spiritual presence.

"My older brother said, ‘The closest you’ll ever be to God on Earth is standing beside Sister Rita,’" said niece Rita Jolicoeur. "The presence of God was with her all the time."

Desrosiers, who died Feb. 6 at age 92, spent decades as one of the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, more commonly known as the Grey Nuns. But it was her almost five decades of service at St. Amant centre in Winnipeg, and everything she did to help the residents and push for their inclusion into society, that made her a legend.

Ursula Remillard, director of mission and spiritual care at St. Amant, said Desrosiers was there when the first children with developmental disabilities came through its doors in 1959.

"She herself would say that she had no idea that her life would be so profoundly impacted by responding to the needs of this group of children and their families," Remillard said.

"As she began to know and understand the children, Sister Rita began to feel that this might be her own particular ministry within the mission of the Grey Nuns. Over those many years of service, Sister Rita saw and participated in many changes to support services for people with developmental disabilities."

Desrosiers was born the third of eight children (five girls, three boys) to Desneiges and husband Magloire in Ste. Anne in 1927. She was only 12 when her mother died.

"She was 12 and she took over the family," recalled younger sister Anna Jolicoeur. "I was only four or five. She helped on the farm, too."

Desrosiers went to the country school in the community up until Grade 8, and continued her studies at the Grey Nuns convent there. What she saw would change her life.

Family members say it was there Desrosiers became touched by the sisters’ love for the less fortunate. She joined the order Aug. 5, 1945, a few months after turning 18, made her temporary vows in 1948, and her perpetual vows in Montreal on Aug. 15, 1958.

Religion ran deep in the Desrosiers family. The eldest sister, Orise became a nun with the Little Sisters of the Holy Family (Sherbrooke, Que.) when she was 24.

"My dad was so proud of his two daughters who became nuns," said Jolicoeur.

With the Grey Nuns, Desrosiers trained as a licensed practical nurse and soon was working at Ste. Rose General Hospital, Taché Nursing Centre, Berens River, and St. Boniface Sanatorium (before it became St. Amant).

When Desrosiers arrived at what would become St. Amant, it was still caring for polio patients. Once a vaccine was found and the number of people contracting polio dropped dramatically, it was decided in 1959 it would begin serving a different population: children living with special needs.

Remillard said three stories illustrate Desrosiers’ time at St. Amant, and her push for inclusivity:

● Desrosiers used some of the first donation money to buy leotards for the girls, to help them fit in better in the community;

● When St. Amant was preparing to open the city’s first group home for people living with special needs in 1977, she and another Sister drove to a local school and parked outside to see what style of clothing children were wearing. They then shopped for the same types of clothes for the residents;

● When a group of teens at a St. Amant group home were getting ready to graduate from high school, she heard the teacher was planning only a small celebration in their class. Desrosiers pushed for them to graduate with the rest of the student body, and they did.

"She made sure these kids’ clothing was just as current as everyone else. She did not want them on a lower level," Jolicoeur said.

"She also wanted them to have a school diploma, too... and every Christmas, she put on a Christmas play. She made sure all the kids had Christmas costumes and that they would learn the songs."

Sister Florence Caners said Desrosiers understood the needs of people living with special needs and non-verbal communication.

"Not only was she a nurse, but also a teacher," good observer and listener, Caners said.

"She shared deeply all their joys, hopes and sorrows," she said. "All became visibly comforted, happy and even excited when Sister Rita was with them.

"Her life of dedication was a witness and an inspiration of her unconditional love, compassion and commitment as she bloomed wherever she was planted... She was small in stature, with a mighty big heart that loved deeply reaching out to everyone."

In her last days, Desrosiers still lived to serve. Even as a resident at Taché, and using a wheelchair, she would check on others.

"She would go to everybody’s door and bless the people," Jolicoeur said. "She spent her life helping at home and then helping in the community. She was a gift."

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca