The study, conducted by medical experts and commissioned by the bishop, supports the idea that the body of the deceased Benedictine nun may be incorrupt. However, the statement said there are no plans to initiate a beatification process for Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster.
The results of a medical examination of the body of Benedictine Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster have confirmed that there were no signs of decomposition when her body was exhumed last year, according to a statement from Bishop James Johnston of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in Missouri.
The study, conducted by medical experts and commissioned by the bishop, supports the assumption that the body of the deceased Benedictine nun may be incorrupt. However, the statement said there are no plans to initiate a beatification process for Sister Wilhelmina.
Sister Wilhelmina, who founded the traditionalist order of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles in Gower, Missouri, died on May 29, 2019. However, when her body was exhumed on April 28, 2023, and transferred to the convent church for burial, the sisters found no skeleton. Instead, they found a well-preserved body that bore the recognizable features of their former prioress.
Thousands of pilgrims flocked to the rural town to see the possible miracle.
The final report of the investigation, announced by the diocese on August 22, 2024, found that no signs of decomposition were found, such as would normally occur under the conditions of her burial.
Sister Wilhelmina’s body was not embalmed or given any other treatment prior to her burial. She was buried in an unsealed wooden coffin. Although the coffin was decayed, her body was not decayed and her clothing and clothes showed no signs of decay. In addition, it was determined that the circumstances of her death and burial would not protect against decay.
“The condition of her body is highly atypical for the period of almost four years since her death, particularly given the environmental conditions and the findings in the associated objects,” the report said.
Additional soil tests were conducted to determine if anything unusual could have prevented the body from decomposing, but no unusual elements were found in the soil.
“Based on what was observed during this time, Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster’s body does not appear to have undergone the decomposition that would normally be expected under such burial conditions,” Bishop Johnston said in a statement announcing the findings.
The forensic experts also interviewed eyewitnesses to the funeral and exhumation and examined the sister’s coffin and body.
According to the bishop, the medical team was only able to carry out “a limited examination.” The diocese did not disclose whether further examinations of the body or other measures would be carried out.
Bishop Johnston added that there is no official Catholic Church protocol for determining whether a body is incorruptible, noting that “incorruptibility is not considered a sign of holiness.” Currently, he said, there are no plans in the diocese to begin a canonization process.
“The condition of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster’s remains has understandably aroused great interest and raised important questions,” the bishop continued. “I pray that Sister Wilhelmina’s story continues to open hearts to love for Our Lord and Our Lady.”
Sister Wilhelmina joined the Oblates of Providence shortly after graduating from high school as valedictorian. Following the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the sister strove to preserve the traditions of the Catholic Church, especially the wearing of a religious habit.
When Sister Wilhelmina could not convince the order to return to the habit, she founded a new order with the help of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, a community of priests dedicated to the traditional Latin Mass. At the age of 70, she founded the Benedictine Sisters of Mary Queen of Apostles, first in Pennsylvania before moving to Missouri.
The order adopted a contemplative and Marian charism, with prayer for priests at the forefront. The sisters are dedicated to the traditional Latin Mass and use the 1962 convent office with its traditional Gregorian chant in Latin. The nuns also record chants and have the top of the Billboard‘s Classical Traditional Chart several times.
