By Julie Johansen
A celebratory mass will be hosted at the Mission of the San Rafael honoring Paula Wellnitz on Oct. 28 at 12 p.m. as she prepares to leave the area. This was the date that she first became a member of the sisters. The celebration will also honor her as she reaches her 90th birthday.
Wellnitz came to the area in 1992, responding to an ad in a Denver paper for a counselor at Four Corners Mental Health, where she worked for several years.
She is a member of the Victory Noll Sisters of the Catholic Church. Wellnitz began her sisterhood many years ago and has lived in various places where she was assigned or chose to serve as a missionary. She received her counseling degree from the Heart of Mary College in Los Angeles. Following this, she worked as a counselor in the Seattle area for several years before moving to South Dakota. She wrote for National Catholic Reporter and the Emery County Progress.
Wellnitz has been involved with interface outreach and social issues while living in the area. After retiring, she opened her “Home Place” as a retreat for individuals or groups who needed spiritual counseling or just a welcoming environment.
Wellnitz will be moving back to the headquarters of the Sisterhood in Huntington, Indiana. One of the elected leaders will come and help her make the move. According to Wellnitz, her age has enabled her to take care of herself and continue her outreach here.