To see Catholic nun Sister Wilhemina Lancaster, thousands of people have been making the trip to a tiny rural Missouri town.
There is a caveat, though.
She passed away in 2019, so far.
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. Since that time, her body has deteriorated very little.
When the remains of Lancaster were taken into their chapel by nuns from the Mary, Queen of Apostles Monastery in Gower, Missouri, the startling discovery was made.
Newsweek quoted one sister as saying, “We were told by cemetery staff to expect just bones. ”.
They were shocked to find a body that was almost entirely undamaged, though.
After she passed away, Sister Wilhemina was not embalmed and was buried in a wooden coffin. The only remaining portion of Sister Wilhemina’s remains that had been damaged was a layer of mildew.
The witness claimed, “I didn’t just see that because I thought I had seen a fully formed, intact foot. Mother Cecilia, OSB, was mentioned by the current abbess. “So I gave it another, closer look. ”.
Everyone was speechless.
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 deterioration even years after death, they are known as incorruptibles.
Additionally, the absence of deterioration signifies a connection to Christ.
The reported occurrences of incorruptible bodies have been canonized or beatified in numbers that range from several hundred to over one hundred.
Diocese of Kanas City-St. In a statement, Joseph acknowledged the “widespread interest” and unavoidable “important questions. ”.
It is essential to preserve the integrity of Sister Wilhelmina’s mortal remains in order to allow for a thorough investigation.
Sister Wilhemina was buried with several items, including her clothing, and the sisters not only found her remains unharmed but also that they were in “remarkably preserved condition.”. ”.
Even more incredible was the complete preservation of her holy clothing, which was made of natural fibers and for which she fought so arduously throughout her monastic life. Being made of the same material as the synthetic veil, the synthetic coffin lining was completely destroyed.
After removing the “mask of thick mold” from Sister Wilhemina’s face, the sisters made a wax mask of her face and hands. The corpse suffered some deterioration as a result of the preservation process and air exposure, but overall it was unharmed.
Many people have come to the tiny hamlet to pay their respects since Sister Wilhemina’s body was found. Over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, between 10 and 15,000 people per day are expected, according to Clinton County Sheriff Larry Fish.
Sister Wilhemina’s body was put in a glass case near the chapel’s altar after being on display for a few days.
Many people view it as a miracle. Some dispute it. Tell us in the comments how you’re feeling.
