ARTICLE SHARE: “The first African American woman to be found incorrupt”?? (Catholic News Agency)

People have been BLOWING UP my inbox and my phone about this huge news from the week! I finally got a chance to look over a couple of articles to check it out myself.

If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend reading up on this developing story of a Black Catholic founderess of a religious order of Benedictine Sisters who might just be “the first African American woman to be found incorrupt”!

This is Sr. Wilhelmina Lancaster, OSB, foundress of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles. She only just died in 2019. Could we have another possible case for canonization of a Black Catholic Holy One of which we are still waiting for the first declared African American Saint? God knows, and time will tell.

Here’s some of the brief excerpts I found most impactful:

“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.“

“Through the eyes of her Catholic faith, the abbess sees in the preservation of Sister Wilhelmina’s body that same message. ‘Heaven is real. The resurrection is real. Especially during these times in the Church and in the world.’“

“‘Have hope,’; she implored. ‘God is still there. He still hears our prayers. He still listens. He still loves us.’“

Sr. Wilhelmina is in the same company with Servant of God Mother Mary Lange who founded the first order of sisters for African American women in 1829 and Venerable Henriette DeLille who founded her order in 1842, two African American Catholic women and founding religious Mothers who have active sainthood causes.

Original article: “A miracle in Missouri? Body of Benedictine Sisters’ foundress thought to be incorrupt” by Kelsey Wicks (Catholic News Agency)