To see Catholic nun Sister Wilhemina Lancaster, thousands of people have been making the trip to a little rural Missouri village. But there’s a catch. She died in 2019, after it.
According to the Catholic News Agency, Sister Wilhemina Lancaster of the Most Holy Rosary, OSB, passed away on May 29, 2019, at the age of 95, and very little physical deterioration has taken place in her body since then.
The startling discovery was made when nuns from the Mary, Queen of Apostles Monastery in Gower, Missouri, carried Lancaster’s remains into their chapel.
According to one sister who spoke with Newsweek, “We were told by cemetery staff to expect just bones.”
They were shocked to see a body that was almost fully unharmed, though.
After she passed away, Sister Wilhemina was not embalmed and was buried in a wooden coffin. Except for a layer of mildew that had grown because of a breach in the casket, Sister Wilhemina’s remains were almost entirely undamaged.
The witness claimed, “I didn’t just see that, because I thought I had seen a fully developed, intact foot.” Mother Cecilia, OSB, was mentioned by the current abbess. I then gave it another, closer look.
Everyone was in disbelief.
At this point, we need hope.
According to Catholic tradition, “incorruptible saints” have witnessed the afterlife and the bodily resurrection. Since their bodies show little to no signs of degeneration even years after death, they are known as incorruptible.
A connection to Christ is also represented by the absence of degradation.
The alleged occurrences of incorruptible bodies have been canonized or beatified in numbers that range from several hundred to over one hundred.
In a statement, the Diocese of Kanas City-St. Joseph recognized the “widespread interest” and ensuing “important questions.”
It is essential to preserve the integrity of Sister Wilhelmina’s mortal remains in order to allow for a thorough investigation.
The sisters not only discovered Sister Wilhemina’s undamaged bones but also that the items she was buried with, such as her dress, were in “remarkably preserved condition.”
Even more incredible was the perfect preservation of her holy garment, which was made of natural fibers and for which she fought so arduously throughout her monastic life. The synthetic coffin lining, which was made of the same material as the synthetic veil, was completely ruined.
After removing the “mask of thick mold” from Sister Wilhemina’s face, the sisters created a wax mask of her face and hands. The corpse suffered minor degeneration as a result of the preservation process and air exposure, but overall it remained uninjured.
Thousands of people have visited the tiny hamlet to pay their respects ever since Sister Wilhemina was found. Between ten and fifteen thousand people each day are expected over the Memorial Day weekend, according to Clinton County Sheriff Larry Fish.
Sister Wilhemina’s body was placed in a glass case next to the chapel’s altar after spending several days on display.
It’s seen by many as a miracle. Some dispute it. What do you think? Tell us in the comments, please.
