A Catholic nun's exhumed body, which was discovered still intact over four years after she passed away, has drawn hundreds of visitors to a monastery in a small Missouri town, according to the Guardian.
Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster was entombed in a wooden casket and passed away on May 29, 2019, as per the Catholic News Agency. She was 95 years old. She allegedly started the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles order in 1995, according to the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. On May 18, 2023, her body was pulled out so that it might be relocated to a monastery chapel, as was usual for founders.
The sisters were shocked to see that the uncovered body showed no symptoms of degradation when they opened the casket. The nun's body had a coating of mold on it. Little of her physique deteriorated throughout the four years despite the moisture.
“We were told by cemetery personnel to expect just bones in the conditions, as Sister Wilhelmina was buried without embalming and in a simple wood coffin,” one of the sisters, who asked to be anonymous, told Newsweek.
"The dirt that fell in early on had pushed down on her facial features, especially the right eye, so we did place a wax mask over it. But her eyelashes, hair, eyebrows, nose, and lips were all present, her mouth just about to smile," the sister added.
A body that defies natural decomposition after death is regarded as being incorrupt in Catholicism and "incorruptible saints give witness to the truth of the resurrection of the body and the life that is to come," according to the Catholic News Agency.
As word of her death spread, crowds of people flocked to the nunnery to see her remnants, with many referring to it as the "miracle of Missouri." A sign next to the body reads: "Please be gentle with touching sister's body, especially her feet."
In the meanwhile, a statement concerning the discovery was released by the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.
''The condition of the remains of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster has understandably generated widespread interest and raised important questions,” the diocese said. ''At the same time, it is important to protect the integrity of the remains of Sister Wilhelmina to allow for a thorough investigation… Bishop [James] Johnston invites all the Faithful to continue praying during this time of investigation for God's will.''
According to some scientists, it is usual for corpses to be intact in the initial years following death.
Western Carolina University Associate Professor and Director of Forensic Anthropology Nicholas V Passalacqua said, “It's hard to say how common this is because bodies are rarely exhumed after burial. But there are many famous cases of well-preserved human remains. Not just things like Egyptian mummies which were intentionally preserved, but also things like the Bog Bodies of Europe which were very well preserved for thousands of years because they were in environments with low oxygen that restricted bacterial growth and access to the remains to scavengers,” in their statement to CNN.
The body will be exhibited until May 29 while being placed in a glass casket in the chapel.
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