Hope was the antidote that brought temporary
patches of peace in her life. She hand-fed this hope with music, art, travel, journaling, taking classes,
group therapy, and, importantly, with work that gave her contact with people. She courageously sought
out four psychiatrists, one psychoanalyst, and two
spiritual directors. The poetry of Emily Dickinson
gave her an intimate kinship with someone else who
had the same struggle. Loretta also learned that
Mother Theresa of Calcutta wrote of her problem with depression. St.Therese of Lisieux had bouts of
depression before her death that often left her unable
to pray. Sir Winston Churchill spoke of “the black
dog” that followed him. Despite the depression, Loretta never missed a day
Loretta Juras was born at home on Straight Shore
of work at St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington, from
Farm, which is on the Choptank River near Suicide
which she retired in 1990. She received a BA in
Bridge, Cambridge, Maryland, in November 1927.
History from the University of Delaware in 1966,
Roman Catholicism and a Polish heritage were the
bedrocks of the Juras family. Loretta was the sixth of
Loretta tried antidepressants when they came on the
seven children born to John and Lena Juras. Her
market in the 1980’s. Until 1993, when Paxil arrived
siblings were Lillian, Florence, Marie, Theresa, Jean,
from Europe, she could not tolerate the drugs, Prozac
and Leonard, the only brother. The children piled
being one of the worst for her. Paxil was not effective
into a horse-drawn wagon to attend mass at Our Lady
at first. After several months, the pharmacist
of Good Counsel Church in Secretary, Maryland.
included the prescription “insert.” There she read:
Loretta spent her childhood with an overwhelming
“Some patients require twice or three times the
feeling of being lost, utterly alone, and abandoned.
regular starting dose.” After convincing her doctor to
Her mother described her as a “nervous” child to
increase the dosage, three weeks later the depression
explain the anxiety and panic attacks. As early as her
eleventh year, Loretta would go off by herself and
In 1980 Loretta was professed in the Secular
cling to a crucifix, while begging God to “take this
Franciscan Order. She has served six years as
cross away from me.” Biologically-based clinical
Minister of St. Patrick’s Fraternity, five years as
depression would be with her throughout her life.
Treasurer, and two years as Formation Director.
Leaving home at sixteen with ten dollars and a
Backed by her own personal experience with spiritual
small suitcase, Loretta took the bus to Baltimore,
direction, Loretta has been persistent that the
where she attended the Baltimore Business College
Fraternity have the constant and loving care of a
and completed the two-year senior secretarial course
in nine months. Her pastor spoke with her about
For the past five years Loretta has found inspiration
entering a convent, and in August 1948, at the age of
by spending an hour a week with a blind friend who
nineteen, she entered the Mother House of Glen
is paralyzed from the neck down as a result of
Riddle Franciscans in Pennsylvania, with her multiple sclerosis. Loretta says she “is as helpless as
youngest sister, Irene. They had both stayed for the
Christ was on the cross.” Their time is spent with
two year novitiate only, when she was advised to
Loretta reading to her and feeding her black grapes or
return home by a psychiatrist and “wear off the
cantaloupe. Loretta also takes Holy Eucharist to
habit.” When they returned to Straight Shore Farm,
hospital patients and conducts weekly song and
Irene had a total breakdown and was sent to a
prayer hours at a Franciscan nursing home.
psychiatric hospital. With the hundred dollars given
Loretta has written of her struggle with depression
to her when she left the convent, Loretta left for
in a book entitled, Peace, the Finest Gift. She
Wilmington after a couple of weeks. There she found
continues to study and is struck that one in seven who
work and began her search for healing. In less than a
have clinical depression will commit suicide. She
year, she “found an avocation in writing and
invites anyone interested in talking or learning more
producing the weekly radio program, Catholic Forum
about depression to phone her at 302-571-8503
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