A small rural town in Missouri is experiencing a remarkable influx of visitors as news spreads about the astonishing discovery of a deceased nun whose body exhibited no signs of decay, even four years after being buried.
Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, the esteemed founder of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles in Gower, Missouri, passed away in May 2019. Recently, the decision was made by the sisters to relocate her remains beneath the altar in the convent’s chapel. However, when they opened her coffin, they were met with an extraordinary sight.
Contrary to expectations, the sisters found Sister Wilhelmina’s body remarkably well-preserved. “We were told by cemetery personnel to expect just bones in that condition, as Sister Wilhelmina was buried without embalming and in a simple wood coffin,” disclosed an anonymous sister in an interview with Newsweek.
The surprise discovery has sparked intrigue and speculation, with hundreds of documented cases of incorruptible corpses in the Catholic Church. According to Catholic tradition, this phenomenon is believed to signify exceptional holiness, suggesting that the individual’s purity prevented the typical process of decay.
The unexpected preservation of Sister Wilhelmina’s body left the sisters in awe. Upon opening the coffin, Mother Abbess Cecilia caught a glimpse of a completely intact foot, still clad in a sock, appearing just as it did when she was buried. Overwhelmed with joy, she couldn’t contain her excitement.
The sister shared, “She could not help but scream with joy.” As they inspected further, they found that the body was nearly unchanged, with even the hair, eyebrows, nose, and lips remaining intact.
The facial features had been affected by the pressure of the soil, particularly the right eye, which prompted them to place a wax mask over it. Nevertheless, the body’s overall preservation was a testament to Sister Wilhelmina’s devotion to her sisterhood and the legacy she left behind.
The news of Sister Wilhelmina’s remarkable state has quickly spread across social media, with many referring to it as a “miracle in Missouri.” However, experts emphasize that the fate of a body after burial can vary depending on numerous factors.
Nicholas Passalacqua, an associate professor and forensic anthropology director at Western Carolina University, explained that decomposition rates are influenced by temperature, burial environment, coffin type, and treatment with chemicals.
While most wooden coffins decompose over time, the process can take several years. Famous cases of well-preserved remains exist, such as Egyptian mummies and the bog bodies of Europe, where low oxygen levels restricted bacterial growth and scavenger access. Consequently, it remains uncertain whether Sister Wilhelmina’s incorrupt state is solely a result of natural causes.