Nun who went viral at Dodger game recalls lifelong love for team – NBC Los Angeles

Among the millions of Dodger fans celebrating the team’s spot in the World Series are two nuns who became Internet sensations after a photo captured them praying at a Dodger game in 2018.

“I have to show you, I have my rosary,” said Sister Johnellen Turner, holding it up. ”I always hum ‘da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da’, cause that’s what they do at the park when a strike, and it helps!”

When the Dodgers won their way to the World Series Sunday night, the victory was an answer to Turner’s prayers.

“People always say, if they win the game over there, they say we won the game for them because we were praying the rosary,” said Turner. “Well, I think it’s the players had something to do with it, myself.”

Turner may look familiar because she and fellow Dodger fan sister, Joann Ashburn, an eighth-grade teacher from Saint Catherine’s Academy in Anaheim, were captured praying in a widely circulated photo from a Dodger game in 2018.

“We’ve been fans for our lives. I mean, when people say, ‘Do you bleed blue?’ I mean, it’s serious,” Turner said with a laugh.

She recalled going to that game as guests of Tommy Lasorda.

“We were with Tommy and I had my rosary out and Sister Joann had hers out,” the nun said. “And Justin Turner was sliding into home plate and he was out.”

Dodgers fans celebrated the 10-5 victory against the Mets in Game 6 at Dodger Stadium. Tracey Leong reports for NBC4 at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 20, 2024 

Sister Johnellen said her love of the “Boys in Blue” began with her parents, who were Dodger fans when they were the Brooklyn Dodgers. The nun said meeting Lasorda at a rotary club function 16 years ago was life-changing.

“Meeting Tommy Lasorda was probably one of the greatest gifts of my lifetime,” she said.

Sister Johnellen said she and Sister Ashburn remained very close friends since Lasorda’s death in 2021.

“I brought this little guy with me,” said Turner in reference of her Tommy Lasorda bobblehead. “This is Tommy, he’s one of my best friends and he’s now in heaven, and so he’s been with us during these playoffs.”

After many years at Saint Catherine’s Academy, Sister Johnellen recently moved to Northern California. She doesn’t believe she’ll be able to go to the World Series, but she said she’ll be praying for her Boys in Blue from hundreds of miles away.

“I’ll cheer from here, and I’ll cheer loud and clear,” said Sister Johnellen. “We’re going to do this!”