Holy Cross sister, former Utah Catholic Schools teacher, celebrates 75 years of consecrated life

Friday, Jun. 09, 2023

Sister Luella Van Dorn, a Sister of the Holy Cross who served in the Diocese of Salt Lake City for nine years, will celebrate her jubilee anniversary for 75 years of consecrated life on July 23. 

Sr. Luella was born in Los Angeles, Calif. She made her initial profession of vows with the Sisters of the Holy Cross on August 15, 1948, and her perpetual profession on August 15, 1951.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education at the University of Portland, Ore. and became an elementary school teacher for 38 years.  Sr. Luella spent six of her nine years of service in Utah at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Salt Lake City. For the remainder of her teaching career, she served in Catholic schools in Idaho, Arizona and California. 

From 1984 to 2014, Sr. Luella served in parish ministry as a pastoral associate with St. Paul Church, Seattle, Wash. She has been in her current ministry of prayer since 2014.