Hundreds of faithful pilgrims have flocked to a secluded Benedictine monastery in rural Missouri following reports that the exhumed remains of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, the African-American foundress of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles, have seemingly defied decay after four years of interment.
The discovery has sparked awe and wonder among believers, prompting a thorough investigation by the Church.
The astonishing revelation unfolded last week when news began circulating on social media, captivating the attention of the Catholic community. Sister Wilhelmina, who passed away at the venerable age of 95 on May 29, 2019, was laid to rest in a modest wooden coffin, her body left unembalmed.
Renowned for her dedication to the Traditional Latin Mass and adherence to Benedictine contemplation and the Liturgy of the Hours, she left her community of over 50 years, the Oblate Sisters of Providence, to establish the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles in 1995.
On the solemnity of the Ascension, approximately four years after her passing, the abbess and her fellow sisters made the decision to relocate Sister Wilhelmina’s earthly remains to their final resting place within the monastery chapel. Anticipating a skeletal presence due to the passage of time, they were shocked to discover an intact body inside the cracked coffin, exposed to moisture and dirt throughout those years.
Mother Cecilia, the current abbess of the Benedictine community, recounted the astonishing moment. As the leader of the monastery, it fell upon her to examine the contents of the coffin. To her amazement, she found the body covered in a layer of mold, formed due to the significant condensation within the cracked casket. Despite the damp environment, Sister Wilhelmina’s body showed remarkable preservation, with little decay and no signs of her religious habit disintegrating.
In an interview with EWTN’s ACI Group, Mother Cecilia expressed her belief that “Sister Wilhelmina may be the first African-American woman to have been found incorrupt. The news sent ripples of joy throughout the community, prompting cheers when the discovery was made”.
The monastery has since attracted numerous pilgrims in recent days, seeking to witness the apparent miracle firsthand. Word quickly spread of the remarkable preservation of Sister Wilhelmina’s body, drawing the faithful from far and wide to the humble Benedictine retreat.
Catholic Trends is picking information that local Church authorities have initiated a thorough investigation into the inexplicable preservation, considering both natural and supernatural explanations.
Catholic Trends has also learned that while the phenomenon remains unexplained at present, the faith and devotion of those who have journeyed to the monastery have been reignited, seeing in this potential miracle a testament to Sister Wilhelmina’s profound holiness.
Reports indicate that whiles the leadership of the local Church delves deeper into this extraordinary occurrence, believers eagerly await further updates and remain captivated by the possibility that the body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, the trailblazing African-American nun, may indeed stand as a living testament to a divine intervention.
Catholic Trends is closely following this developing story and will provide updates as the investigation progresses.
