A Miracle? Thousands Flock to Missouri to See Barely Decomposed Body of Exhumed Nun Who Died in 2019

Billy Hallowell : May 30, 2023
Faithwire.com

"God works in mysterious ways, and we embrace His new plan for us." -Nuns from the Benedictines of Mary

[Faithwire.com] A Missouri nun who died in 2019 has become a focal point for some faithful after her body was recently exhumed and her remains are reportedly mostly intact. (Screengrab image)

Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, who died at age 95, was exhumed last month, nearly four years after her demise on May 29, 2019, and her body [was] placed inside a glass shrine Monday, according to CBS News.

Lancaster's story has rocketed across media in recent days following reports her body has not decomposed while buried. She was reportedly not embalmed after her death and was placed in a simple wooden casket, adding additional intrigue to the story.

The report has sent thousands flocking to see her body for themselves at the chapel at the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles in Gower, Missouri, as CBS noted.

With so much information about Lancaster spreading, the nuns published an explainer on their website to "clarify" some of the facts, including why the initial exhumation unfolded.

"Our Abbey had been planning the addition of a St. Joseph Shrine within the oratory for quite some time, including the reinterment of the remains of our beloved foundress, Sister Wilhelmina," the explanation reads. "Last month, in preparation for the construction of the shrine, we exhumed her, having been told to expect bones in the highly moist clay of Missouri, as she was buried in a simple wooden coffin without any embalming whatsoever four years ago."

The nuns said they intended to carry out all of these acts in "privacy," though "the discovery of what appeared to be an intact body and a perfectly preserved religious habit created an unexpected twist" in their plans. As it turns out, a private email sent on the matter was posted publicly.

With news then quickly spreading, the nuns' previously secret find became public... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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