In 1925 the Rita sisters moved to the Würzburg district of Zellerau. The parish church of the Holy Cross did not exist at that time. On Sunday, February 20, 2022, the three sisters who had last lived in the shadow of the parish church said goodbye.

In the service, Deacon Ulrich Wagenhäuser said: “In the last few weeks and months, our bishop has always emphasized that pastoral work must become more charitable. You, the Order, recognized that back then. When they started to work in a diaconal manner - first in the care of the elderly, the sick, and families, a little later in the kindergarten - there was no parish of the Holy Cross; it was not built until 1935.”

The social space orientation, which is spoken of in the church today, was the aim of the sisters from the beginning. Living with the people, helping them in their needs, and thus proclaiming the message of God's love, has shaped the presence of the sisters from the beginning to this day, even if no one has been employed as a nurse or educator since 2001. But the sisters were there, making voluntary visits to the elderly, getting involved in the services, and keeping in touch with the people in the parish.

"The community lives from encounters, both in the area of ​​worship and in the purely human area," Sr. Scholastica summed it up in her farewell speech. Intercessory prayer was also important to the sisters. Sister Gerlinde: “When Sister Carmen and I moved from Dallenberg to Zellerau three years ago, we and Sister Scholastica considered what our task in this parish of the Holy Cross could be. We realized that we wanted to take the concerns of the people we meet into our prayers and be present as praying and caring women - and we have done that."

Also, parish vicar Fr. Leonard Szewczyk SDB and a member of the PGR leadership team, Marion Werner, warmly thanked the sisters for their presence and service in the parish. The way from the Sanderau, where the sisters will now live in the Motherhouse, to the Zellerau can be done in 20 minutes by tram. This is how you can stay in touch. Small tokens of gratitude were flowers and vouchers for Sister Scholastica Dietrich, Sister Carmen Fuchs, and Sister Gerlinde Schaut, and lots of good wishes for the future.

If a 97-year tradition comes to an end with the dissolution of the convent in Sedanstraße, the Rita sisters have not disappeared from the Zellerau district. Three sisters live in the retreat house Himmelpforten. One of them, Sister Inge Grehn, has been a member of the parish council for many years, as well as a lector, cantor, and communion worker. She will continue to play an active role in the parish community of the Holy Cross and St. Elizabeth.