The daughter of William and Elizabeth Yates Durbin, Matilda was born January 20, 1895, in Sunfish, Ky. She entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph when she was 20 years of age. After spending a three‑month postulancy, Matilda received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister Loretta on March 25, 1916.
Sister Loretta prepared for an apostolate in domestic service. For 40 years, beginning in December 1916, she cared for the needs of the teaching Sisters in various schools in Kentucky, Missouri and Nebraska. During these years she was missioned to Mount Saint Joseph Motherhouse for five different intervals where she had charge of the community kitchen and also made hundreds of gallons of lye soap in the old meat house. Many novices learned valuable cooking skills under her watchful eye in those years. Sister Loretta was also missioned in Kentucky to Fairfield, Stanley, St. Charles, Howardstown, Holy Cross, Rome, Louisville (St. Denis), Knottsville, Leitchfield, Cloverport, and Raywick (St. Joseph). She was missioned to Paul, Dixon, Snyder and Nebraska City in Nebraska, and to Wilhelmina, Mo.
Sister Loretta was known to be sensitive to all things spiritual and especially appreciative of the beauty of creation. Love, simplicity and service characterized her life. She felt that praying for priests was an important part of her apostolate.
Sister Loretta retired in 1956, suffering from lung cancer, but was an infirmary patient only the last few days of her life. Sister died quite unexpectedly on July 9, 1973. Two days later, the funeral Mass was offered by Msgr. Bernard Powers, chaplain. Sister Loretta’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery.