Diocese gives update on ‘incorrupt’ Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster’s remains

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph released the results of a medical examination and evaluation regarding the remains of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster .

She was described as the African American foundress of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles.

Sister Lancaster died in May 2019 and was buried within days in a grave on the rural Catholic monastery in Gower, Missouri, a small town about an hour north of Kansas City.

She was buried without any embalming or other treatment of her body, in an unsealed wooden casket.

When workers unearthed her corpse on April 28, 2023, intending to inter it in a new location, her remains were found to be intact — four years after her burial.

The news made national headlines, bringing people in from across the country to view the remains.

A team of medical experts was commissioned by the Bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph to conduct an examination and evaluation of the body.

In the final report , it was noted that the condition of Sister Lancaster’s body during the examination was notable for a lack of any detected features of decomposition. The lining of her casket had completely deteriorated, but her habit and clothing showed no features of breakdown.

Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr. says the Catholic Church does not have an official protocol for determining if a deceased person’s body is incorrupt, and incorruptibility is not considered to be an indication of sainthood and that there is no current plan to initiate a cause for sainthood for Sister Lancaster.

“The condition of the remains of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster has understandably generated widespread interest and raised important questions. I pray that Sister Wilhelmina’s story continues to open hearts to love for Our Lord and Our Lady,” Bishop Johnston said.

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