By Tim Binnall
In an incredible story out of Missouri, the exhumed body of a nun was found to be perfectly intact despite having been buried four years ago. The remarkable discovery reportedly occurred last week when the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles, which is located in the small town of Gower, set about moving the remains of its foundress, Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, into the monastery's chapel. Initially intended to be a celebration of the woman who formed the order in 1995, the transfer took what some are calling a miraculous turn when they realized that, rather than having been reduced to bones, her body was inexplicably incorrupt.
Recalling the stunning moment when they discovered the condition of Lancaster's remains, abbess Mother Cecilia marveled that "I thought I saw a completely full, intact foot and I said, 'I didn't just see that.'" However, upon further inspection, her suspicions proved to be correct, which led to the sisters bursting into cheers when they heard the news. They were all the more astounded when they learned that the puzzling preservation extended to her entire body as well as a variety of items in her casket. "Her crown and bouquet of flowers were dried in place," the monastery said in a statement, "the profession candle with the ribbon, her crucifix, and rosary were all intact."
"Even more remarkable was the complete preservation of her holy habit, made from natural fibers," they wrote, "the synthetic veil was perfectly intact, while the lining of the coffin, made of similar material, was completely deteriorated and gone." Adding yet another astonishing aspect to the story is that Lancaster's body was not embalmed and her casket actually sported a sizeable crack in its center, which allowed condensation to seep into the coffin and presumably should have sped up decomposition process. According to Mother Cecilia, Lancaster is believed to be "the first African American woman to be found incorrupt."
The sisters were understandably uncertain as how to proceed after making the surprising discovery, with Cecilia observing "you can't Google 'what do you do with an incorrupt body.''" As such, they carefully extracted Lancaster's remains, washed away a thick layer of mold that had grown on them over the years, and then coated her hands and face with wax. The nun's body is now on display in the Monastery's chapel through May 29th, when it will be encased in glass following a special ceremony. As one might imagine, word of the wondrous event has led to hundreds of people flocking to the monastery to glimpse Lancaster's seemingly incorrupt body and marvel at what many believe to be a miracle revealed.