[1] In 1999 President Bill Clinton honored her at the White House with the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award.
She became a novice in the Dominican Congregation of Our Lady of the Rosary in Sparkill, New York, entering on September 8, 1959 and taking the name Sister Rita Vincent.
She also earned a certificate in multicultural studies and guidance counseling from the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning in Denver, Colorado.
She established Saint Rita’s Center September, 1983 in the Fordham section of the Bronx to give refugees and immigrants a starting place from which to build their lives, often following war, conflict, and violence.
Her bi- and even tri-lingual (or more) staff and volunteers offered the following services: The center serves about 500 people daily.