The Holy Cross Associates recently toured several sites in Salt Lake City founded by the Holy Cross sisters. The tour was held to honor the legacy of the sisters as the group commemorates the 150th anniversary of their arrival in Utah.
The Holy Cross Associates are lay men and women affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross, which was founded by Blessed Basil Moreau in France in 1841. The Utah-based group meets quarterly for fellowship and spiritual growth. During a recent meeting, the associates visited sites to see firsthand the impact of the sisters' work.
One stop was the Holy Cross Ministries facility in Salt Lake City. This nonprofit was created by the sisters using funds from the sale of Holy Cross Hospital and works to address the needs of underserved communities regarding health and well-being. Luzmila Zepeda, a legal representative at the ministry, noted that seeing these sites in person provides a different perspective than simply discussing the sisters' history.
The pilgrimage included a visit to Kearns-Saint Ann School, which is the only Catholic school in Utah still operating that was founded by the Holy Cross sisters. The facility originally served as an orphanage founded in 1891, with a landmark building completed in 1899 through a gift from Jennie Judge Kearns. The building transitioned into a full-time parochial elementary and middle school in 1955. While the school has been directed by lay people since 1997, it remains a significant site of the sisters' legacy.
The history of the sisters in Utah includes the founding of other local schools, such as the Sacred Heart Academy and the College of Saint Mary-of-the-Wasatch, which are both now closed. According to Sister Patrice McGee, the Sisters of the Holy Cross arrived in Utah in June 1875 to care for sick railroad workers and miners and to build schools. Future tours are planned to visit Holy Cross Hospitals and other locations associated with the sisters.
