Nine Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur jubilarians (seven of them 60 years) with ties to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles were honored at a Mass of Thanksgiving recently in Belmont, Calif.

Celebrating 70 years of religious life was Sister Julie Bellefeuille (Sister Julie St. Frances), a native of Duluth, Minn., whose degrees include an MA in Religious Education from Immaculate Heart College, Los Angeles. She taught in Los Angeles at St. Columbkille School (1939-42) and at Mother of Sorrows where she also was principal (1957-61). She later served for 14 years at College of Notre Dame in Belmont, and later worked in the Marriage Tribunal in the Dioceses of San Jose and Monterey. Today she lives at Notre Dame Province Center Residence in Belmont and is a communion minister and visitor to elders with Immaculate Heart Parish.

The 60-year jubilarians:

Sister Ruth Ella (Sr. Bernard) is a native of Santa Barbara who was educated there at Dolores School and Santa Barbara Catholic High School. After entering religious life in 1946, she taught in elementary and secondary schools in northern California and in Washington State, and at College of Notre Dame where she taught Home Economics, then served for nearly a decade at the Notre Dame mission in Kenya. She now resides at Notre Dame House of Prayer in Carmel offering hospitality to guests in an environment of reflection, prayer and simplicity of life.

Sister Jacqueline Golden (Sr. Mark Carmel) is a native of San Francisco with a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Southern California. A life-long educator, she taught at the elementary and secondary levels in California and Washington, including Our Lady of Guadalupe School in Santa Barbara where she taught Grade 8 and served as principal from 1958-61.

Sister Lucy Holguin (Sr. Lucy Julie) currently resides in her native Santa Barbara where she serves in parish ministry and as a volunteer. A graduate of Dolores School and Santa Barbara Catholic High School, she served for 35 as an elementary educator and administrator in Honolulu, Washington State and California, including Mother of Sorrows, Los Angeles (1951-53) and Dolores School, Santa Barbara, where she was principal from 1972-74.

Sister Mary Lonich, SNDdeN (Sr. Marie Thomasine) is a San Francisco native and elementary teacher and administrator for more than 50 years. She taught at Dolores School and was its principal (1949-52, 1964-66). She also served as elementary school supervisor for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in California. Currently Sr. Mary ministers as teacher assistant at Notre Dame Elementary School in Belmont, and performs many service roles at neighboring Notre Dame Province Center Residence.

Sister Veronica Skillin (Sr. Veronica Therese), a native of San Francisco, taught in Santa Barbara at Guadalupe School (1954-56) and later served as principal and teacher at Dolores School (1961-63). She has been a teacher and administrator in elementary and secondary schools throughout California, and served in leadership, formation and sponsorship ministries within the Notre Dame community. From 1981-1994 she served as president of College of Notre Dame and currently resides at Notre Dame Province Center Residence in Belmont and serves on the Province Administrative staff.

Sister Dolores Steiner (Sr. Joseph) is a native of Bakersfield who taught in Santa Barbara at Guadalupe and Notre Dame Schools, as well as in other elementary schools in California, Hawaii and Washington. After a decade in catechetical and pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Fairbanks, she returned to Santa Barbara where she now resides. She ministered as a care attendant at the Congregate and St. Francis Care Centers in Santa Barbara and as Religious Education Coordinator at Our Lady of Sorrows and is involved in many volunteer activities in church, school and community.

Golden Jubilarian Sister Catherine Davis (Sr. Catherine of Siena), is a native of Oakland prior to entering religious life. She taught in various elementary schools, including St. Columbkille, L.A. (1960-65).

Sister Patricia Hutchison (Sr. Mary Bernardine) is a native of Oxnard who graduated from Santa Barbara Catholic High School prior to entering religious life in 1956. She returned to Santa Barbara to teach at Dolores School (1961-64) and at Guadalupe School where she also served as principal (1964-64). She taught in elementary and secondary schools until 1979 when she joined the faculty of College of Notre Dame where she remained until her retirement in 2003. She lives in Redwood City and is actively engaged in volunteer services.