13 Religious Sisters Have Died From COVID-19 at a Single Convent in Michigan

Thirteen religious sisters at a Michigan convent have died from the coronavirus, with twelve sisters passing in the span of a month. The women, aged 69 to 99, were all members of a Felician Sisters convent in Livonia, Mi. On Good Friday, the virus took the life of Sister Mary Luiza Wawrzyniak, 99. By the end of the month, eleven other sisters had passed; seventeen more were infected but recovered, according to Sr. Noel Marie Gabriel, the director of clinical health services for Our Lady of Hope Province. A thirteenth sister, despite an initial recovery, passed away in June. “The sisters in Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mother convent in Livonia — as well as all of us in the province — are still very much dealing with the loss of so many sisters,” says Suzanne Wilcox English, Executive Director of Mission Advancement for the Felician Sisters of North America. The sisters, all of whom were long-time members of the convent, lived, prayed and worked together. Prior to their retirements, the women had worked as school teachers, college professors and principals; librarians, nurses and organists. Sister Mary Luiza Wawrzyniak had “served as the ‘sunshine person’ for the local minister, sending feast day and birthday cards to the Sisters in the infirmary,” an obituary reads; Sister Victoria Marie Indyk, 69, led nursing students regular trips to the Felician Sisters’ mission in Haiti. Sister Rose Mary Wolak, 86, spent eight y...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Michigan News Desk wire Source Type: news