In a heartbreaking and tragic turn of events, thirteen nuns from a Roman Catholic convent in Michigan all died from COVID-19 in a single month. The situation at the Felician Sisters convent came to light after the virus infiltrated the religious institution, and spread through the nuns “like wildfire”.
The nuns, who ranged in age from sixty-nine to ninety-nine, were members of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice, located in Livonia, Michigan. Among those lost were teachers, an author, and a secretary for the Vatican Secretariat of State.
The Global Sisters Report called the loss of these nuns “the worst loss of life to a community of women religious since the 1918 influenza pandemic.” The close-knit community of nuns were at high risk from the virus due to their advanced ages and close contact with each other, which did not change despite widespread reports of the coronavirus pandemic. Family and friends describe the group as people who “lived together, prayed together, and worked together.”
The coronavirus was brought into the isolated convent by two aides who were infected but did not know it and came to the convent without getting tested. Once inside, the virus spread quickly through the buildings, leading to a month in which a sister died every other day. Thirteen nuns ultimately died from the virus, while an additional eighteen were infected but survived.
Due to health guidelines and the risk of transmission, the sisters were not allowed to attend the funerals of their sisters, making the grieving process even more difficult. They were unable to celebrate the lives of their fallen sisters and give them the appropriate send-off to the afterlife.
Noel Marie Gabriel, director of clinical health services for the Felician Sisters of North America, expressed her sorrow, stating:
“We couldn’t contain the grief and the sorrow and the emotional impact… That was our most tragic time. It was a month of tragedy and sorrow and mourning and grieving.”
The majority of the deaths occurred between April 10 and May 10, when the coronavirus took the lives of twelve nuns. However, a thirteenth sister died on June 27, making it clear that the threat of COVID-19 continued to linger in the convent.
Sadly, this tragedy is not isolated, as many other nuns have died across the country due to the virus. However, the exact number is unknown because religious officials have admitted to not keeping accurate records.
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Source: AWM
