Tests give no answers to ‘highly atypical’ condition of Sister Wilhelmina
By NewsPress Now
A year after crowds made their way to Gower to see the body of a nun whose remains were seemingly incorrupt after her death, examinations have come back with no real answers as to why she didn’t experience normal decomposition.
Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster founded the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles in the 1990s near Gower. She died in May 2019, but her body was exhumed in May 2023 for reburial.
But when she was exhumed, her body did not show signs of decomposition that would normally appear four years after death although the casket had deteriorated. In Catholicism, a body is referred to as “incorrupt” if it does not decay after death. This is sometimes associated with saints.
People came out in droves to see her body at the monastery in Gower. The Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph began investigating to determine the circumstances around her condition, conducting tests on her body and the environment.
“The condition of her body is highly atypical for the interval of nearly four years since her death, especially given the conditions and the findings in associated objects,” the investigative team said.
It was determined there were no unusual elements which would have impacted the condition of Sister Wilhelmina’s body, officials said Thursday.
After tests, there are no plans to initiate a cause for sainthood for Sister Wilhelmina, Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. said in a release. The Catholic Church does not have official guidelines to determine incorruptibility, and “it is not considered an indication of sainthood.”
“I pray that Sister Wilhelmina’s story continues to open hearts to love for Our Lord and Our Lady,” Johnston said in the release.
Members of the public can visit Sister Wilhelmina’s body at the abbey in Gower from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily. More details can be found at benedictinesofmary.org/srwilhelmina.
