Born October 18, 1906, in Uniontown, Ky., Catherine was the fifth child of seven in the family of Francis and Bertha Clark Drury. When 6 years old, she received her First Holy Communion at St. Agnes Church and entered school at St. Agnes School. Catherine continued school at St. Agnes until her junior year in high school. She sang in the choir, was a member of Our Lady’s Sodality, and attended Mass each day. Because of a physical affliction, she never dreamed that religious life was an option for her, but the insight of her pastor, Father Julian Pieters, prompted her to seek admittance to the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph. Catherine received the Ursuline habit on March 19, 1927, and the name Sister Mary Julian.
After the novitiate, Sister Mary Julian had a brief experience of mission life at St. Elizabeth, Curdsville, Ky. She then spent her remaining years of service at Mount Saint Joseph in the chapel, the chicken yard, and for 30 years under the direction of Sisters Bernadette, Agnes Cecilia and Mary Grace, she worked in the laundry sorting, folding and placing clothes on the shelves marked for the Sisters and boarders. After laundry days each week, she washed and pressed habits for Sisters who could not do so for themselves. On several occasions, Sister Mary Julian submitted to radical surgery for facial cancer. Her manner of living with constant physical pain was an inspiration to all the Sisters. She always found humor in the ups and downs of life. She appreciated the wonders of nature. Birds, rabbits, squirrels, flowers and the great trees were her friends. She was faithful to community observances, otherwise, due to facial scarring, she lived a very hidden life. She was especially devoted to Our Lady.
During the final weeks of her life, Sister Mary Julian endured intense suffering, never complaining and always grateful for each kindness shown her. She experienced the healing mercy of death on May 29, 1985, quietly and peacefully as she had lived. On June 1, Father Bernard Barnes, OSM, chaplain, and Msgr. Bernard Powers celebrated her funeral Mass. Sister Mary Julian’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery.