(1949-2024)

Associate Christa Marie Rusch of Jupiter, Florida, died on January 7, 2024, at the age of 74.

Christa, the youngest of three children (and the only girl) was born on June 8, 1949, in Hof, Germany. Her family moved to Regensburg when she was three years old. Her elementary and secondary education came at a Catholic boarding school in Würzburg, Germany, and after graduation she remained in Würtzburg to attend college. She studied education and psychology and over time earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education, an Educational Specialist degree, and two master’s degrees, one in education and one in counseling and guidance.

She worked in the education field in Germany for several years, and met her husband Roger, who was in the military at the time, while she was still in her homeland. The couple married in 1970 and went on to have a daughter and a son.

Christa came to the United States in 1971, although she and Roger continued to travel regularly between the US and Germany due to his work in the military as a field engineer. Roger later opened his own business as a computer scientist. Her dream of becoming an American citizen was realized on December 19, 2001.

Her contact with the Adrian Dominicans began at Rosarian Academy, where her son was a student and where she worked over time as a classroom assistant, an aftercare assistant, and for a year as a religion teacher. Being connected with the Sisters at Rosarian led her to want to become an Associate, and she completed the formation process in 1996 under the mentorship of Sister Anne Marie Snyder, OP.

Early on in her time as an Associate, Christa undertook the task of translating the book that had been produced in 1983 by our “mother” convent, Holy Cross in Regensburg, for its 750th anniversary. Especially given her own roots in Regensburg, she wanted to be able to share an English-language version of the book with ADS Sisters and Associates.

She was selected as a Representative of the Associate Program, as it was then known, in 2002.

Her other activities included serving as a tutor at the DePorres P.L.A.C.E. Literacy Center in West Palm Beach, Florida; working with her parish’s youth group; and collaborating with groups committed to peace, human rights, and care of creation, such as Pax Christi.

At Rosarian, she enjoyed doing crafts with the children and loved to tell them about her German heritage, even teaching them how to say a few words in German. She was known as a hard worker who embodied Dominican values and spoke to the students about them.

Christa loved being an Associate and felt deeply connected to the Congregation through being in Associate Life. As she wrote in one of her more recent annals, “Associate Life is part of my life.”

Christa’s husband and two children survive her. No services are planned at this time.

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan, 49221.