These valiant souls, aged between sixty-nine and ninety-nine, were residents of the Felician Sisters convent in Livonia, Michigan. From teachers to authors, and even a secretary for the Vatican Secretariat of State, these ladies were nothing short of extraordinary. Their contributions reverberated far and wide, making their loss an even more profound heartache for the world.
The Global Sisters Report has chillingly dubbed this as “the worst loss of life to a community of women religious since the 1918 influenza pandemic.” That’s over a hundred years! Talk about a staggering historical parallel that sends shivers down one’s spine.
So, where did it all go wrong? Well, these nuns were particularly vulnerable due to their advanced age and close-knit living arrangements. Life at the convent was a daily interplay of living, praying, and working together, which sadly became the perfect storm for the virus to wreak havoc.
The unsuspecting culprits? Two aides who were blissfully unaware that they were carriers of the virus. Their well-intentioned but fateful entry into the convent was eerily similar to the outbreaks we’ve seen in nursing homes and other residences for the elderly. Once the virus was inside, it was like a wildfire in a drought-stricken forest. Over the course of a month, the virus claimed one sister roughly every other day. Thirteen nuns lost. Eighteen others fell ill but, thank goodness, survived.
And as if this tale couldn’t get any more gut-wrenching, the surviving sisters couldn’t even attend the funerals of their dearly departed. Due to the risk of transmission and strict adherence to health guidelines, they were denied the closure that such ceremonies bring. Imagine the agony of not being able to say a proper goodbye to your lifelong companions. Simply heartbreaking.
In a particularly brutal stretch between April 10 and May 10, twelve nuns passed away. Just as the wounds began to scab, another sister succumbed to the virus on June 27, prolonging the community’s period of mourning.
Noel Marie Gabriel, the director of clinical health services for the Felician Sisters of North America, was beside herself with grief. She reflected, “We couldn’t contain the grief and the sorrow and the emotional impact. That month was like a whole different way of life—a month of tragedy, sorrow, mourning, and grieving.” No words can really encapsulate the emotional rollercoaster this community endured.
And if you think this is an isolated incident, think again. Many other nuns across the United States have also fallen to this unforgiving virus. The exact numbers are elusive, mainly due to incomplete tracking by religious officials, but the trend is tragically clear.
To bring it home, this heart-wrenching episode serves as a cautionary tale of the devastating toll COVID-19 can exact, especially on our older population. Let’s not get complacent. Wear those masks, practice social distancing, and wash those hands as if our lives depend on it—because they absolutely do.