TRAGEDY HAS hit a Catholic Convent in the United States as 13 sisters passed away from Covid-19 within weeks of each other.
The Felician Sisters Convent in Livonia, Michigan, was home to 65 nuns when the coronavirus pandemic began, but has now lost 20% of their sisters to the deadly virus.
Convent superior, Sister Mary Andrew Budinski, said that 12 of their nuns-- who were aged between 66 and 99-- died between 10 April and 10 May after contracting the virus, and a 13th died a week later.
Devastated Sr Budinski admitted the trauma of the nuns' deaths has yet to properly hit the remaining sisters, telling the Global Sisters News "I get chills thinking about that".
"The raw grief is yet to come, I think."
The sisters passed away within weeks of each other after contracting the coroavirus. Image: Felician Sisters ConventTragically, the remaining nuns were not allowed to care for their ill sisters, or attend their funerals due to the continued risk of contracting and passing on the virus which is still extremely prevalent in the United States, meaning the grieving process has been uniquely difficult.
The grieving superior told CNN that while the convent followed safety precautions such as regular hand washing and social distancing where possible, the confined spaces in which the nuns all live together, coupled with their advanced age, left them particularly vulnerable.
"We grieve for each of our sisters who has passed during the time of the pandemic throughout the province," she said, "and we greatly appreciate all of those who are holding us in prayer and supporting us in a number of ways."
Sr Mary Ann Smith, who resides in the convent, said the tragedy was beyond their deepest fears.
"We all knew if it hit the place, it would be bad," Sr. Mary Ann Smith told Global Sisters News. "But we never anticipated how quickly it would go."
The tragedy is the single largest loss of life at a US convent since the 1918 influenza pandemic.
The nuns who passed are named as being Sr Mary Clarence (Adeline) Borkosko, Sr Mary Madeleine (Frances) Dolan, Sr Mary Alice Ann (Fernanda) Gradowski, Sr Victoria Marie Indyk, Sr Celine Marie Lesinski, Sr Mary Estelle Printz, Sr Mary Patricia Pyszynski, Sr Mary Martinez (Virginia) Rosek, Sr Thomas Marie Wadowski, Sr Mary Luiza Wawrzyniak, Sr Rose Mary Wolak, Sr Mary Janice (Margaret) Zolkowski and Sr Danatha Suchyta.
May they all rest in peace.
