Photo courtesy of the Benedictines of Mary Queen of Apostles in Gower, MOThe body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, founder of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles who are best known for their inspirational Gregorian chant, was found to be intact after four years in the grave, making her the first African American woman to be found incorrupt.
The National Catholic Register is reporting on the phenomenon which was discovered when the sisters were in the process of moving the body of their foundress to its final resting place inside their monastery chapel.
Sister Wilhelmina died at the age of 95 on May 29, 2019, the Solemnity of the Ascension, and was well-known for her devotion to the traditional Latin Mass and the Benedictine contemplative tradition. She began her formation in the Oblate Sisters of Providence in 1941 and spent many years teaching in dioceses such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Miami.
After 50 years in the order, she formally left the community to found the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles with Father Arnaud Devillers in the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania. The new order was consecrated to Our Lady in prayer and sacrifice for priests according to the Rule of St. Benedict.
According to the Catholic Key, the sisters spend about five hours a day chanting the Mass and the Divine Office with their remaining time spent doing manual labor, such as sewing vestments for priests, gardening, cooking, and doing farm work.
As Sister Wilhelmina explained, ‘The disciples were persevering in prayer with Mary the Mother of Jesus.’ This is a perfect description of the religious sisterhood that has formed.”
Four years ago, after a long and fruitful life of service to the Church, Sister Wilhelmina died and was buried in a simple wooden coffin in the community’s cemetery. When the time came to move her remains to the monastery’s chapel, they found that the coffin had a crack down the middle that let in moisture and dirt for an unknown length of time.
Expecting to find nothing but bones left in the coffin, their first clue that something extraordinary may have happened was the weight of the coffin. Instead of weighing about 20 pounds, the approximate weight of skeletal remains, it weighed close to 90 pounds.
The coffin was opened by the monastery’s Abbess, Mother Cecilia, who first peered into the casket with a flashlight and spied an intact foot. The community received the news with wonder which quickly turned to jubilation when the coffin was fully opened to reveal an intact body.
However, due to the crack in the coffin, a thick layer of mold covered the body and the sisters got to work cleaning it.
“…[W]e started with the basics, just cleaning her with hot water, because clinging to her face was basically a mask of thick mold,” Mother Cecilia said.
A wax mask was crafted for Sister Wilhelmina’s face and her hands were also coated in wax.
Exposure to the air did cause the body to lose some of its volume and to darken somewhat, but it is still miraculously intact.
“Not only was her body in a remarkable preserved condition, her crown and bouquet of flowers were dried in place; the profession candle with the ribbon, her crucifix and rosary were all intact,” the sisters reported on a fact sheet.
“Even more remarkable was the complete preservation of her holy habit, made from natural fibers, for which she fought so vigorously throughout her religious life. The synthetic veil was perfectly intact, while the lining of the coffin, made of similar material, was completely deteriorated and gone.”
The sisters are planning on laying out the body in the chapel on May 29 with a Rosary procession. Afterward, Sister Wilhelmina’s body will be encased in class near the altar of St. Joseph in order to allow the public to visit her.
“We think she is the first African American woman to be found incorrupt,” Mother Cecilia said. As the Register reports, “incorruptible saints give witness to the truth of the resurrection of the body and the life that is to come. The lack of decay is also seen as a sign of holiness: a life of grace lived so closely to Christ that sin with its corruption does not proceed in typical fashion but is miraculously held at bay.”
Even though the Church has not yet ruled that Sister Wilhelmina’s case is miraculous, it certainly draws attention to the life and spirituality of a very holy woman.
“May God have mercy on me,” Sister Wilhelmina said before her death. “I trust in the mercy of God. Oh, I am grateful to be here! I’m so grateful to be here! I’m grateful to be alive and to serve Him in this community. I’m praying for Mother Cecilia. If there’s anything I would want to pass on to the community, it would be this: Devotion to Our Blessed Mother, True Devotion to Our Blessed Mother.”
Sister Wilhelmina, pray for us!
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