They worked and lived together in a Michigan convent: some for more than half a century, many pursuing higher education and each with a variety of interests. In the end, 12 Feliciana sisters, aged between 69 and 99, would also die in the same way, from Covid-19 and its effects, within a month, according to their order.
After the first 12 deaths from April 10 to May 10, a sister number 13 in the convent, the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Livonia, Michigan, died of Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, June 27. .
The virus, which feeds on the elderly and thrives wherever people are in close contact, may have posed a particular danger to the sisters, who live in community. Just as residents living in nursing homes have been particularly affected by the pandemic, the aging population worldwide is particularly vulnerable.
“We regret every one of our sisters who has passed away during the time of the pandemic across the province, and we greatly appreciate all who support us in prayer and support us in various ways,” said Sister Mary Christopher Moore, provincial minister. of the Province of Our Lady of Hope, which oversees the more than 400 felicia sisters in North America.
The deaths deeply affected the communities where the sisters worked in schools, libraries and the medical field, according to the order in a statement.
“Our ministries across the continent continue to serve those most in need and provide education and care for people from infants and toddlers to our seniors,” Sister Mary Christopher said in an emailed statement.
All of the women were members of the Feliciary congregation for at least 50 years, according to obituaries provided by Suzanne English, executive director for the advancement of the sisters’ mission. Many pursued higher education in their lives, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees; one obtained a master’s degree in nursing. The sisters had a variety of interests, including teaching, pastoral work, and the ministry of prayer.
Sister Celine Marie Lesinski, who died at age 92, worked for 55 years in education, including 27 years as a librarian. A former director of nursing, Sister Victoria Marie Indyk, who died at 69, was a professor of nursing at Madonna University and was known for leading nurses on mission trips to support the mission of the Felicianas sisters in Haiti. Sister Mary Madeleine Dolan, who died at age 82, “could play any song on the piano by ear” and was known for her passion for music and special education work.
As the virus gained momentum across the country, the Feliciana sisters in Livonia lived under increased restrictions designed to slow the spread of the virus.
In their convents, the Felicia Sisters of North America established protocols that include non-visitor policies, social distancing, and limits on group activities. She also replaced the mass in person with a live streaming service.
The congregation has about 60 convents in North America that include 469 sisters, with some of its largest convents in Michigan and New Jersey. In April, she announced that all of her large convents were placed “in full room quarantine,” and the sisters received meals on disposable plates and utensils.
Before the pandemic, the sisters generally met about five times a day: three times a day for meals, in the morning for prayer and mass, and in the afternoon for prayer and the rosary.
Although the terms “sisters” and “nuns” are often used interchangeably, Ms. English said that the women of the order were not mentioned as nuns.
The coronavirus outbreak>
Frequent questions
Updated July 22, 2020
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Why do the masks work?
- The coronavirus clings to moisture and enters and leaves the body through any moist tissue (the mouth, eyes, inside the nose). This is why people wear masks and eye protectors: they are like an umbrella for their body: they keep their droplets inside and other people’s droplets outside. But the masks only work if you use them correctly. The mask should cover your face from the bridge of your nose to below your chin, and should stretch almost to your ears. Make sure there are no gaps, those kinds of purpose defeats, right?
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Is the coronavirus in the air?
- Coronavirus can remain in the air for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, growing scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded interior spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain overcast events reported in meat packing plants, churches, and restaurants. It is unclear how often the virus is transmitted through these small droplets or sprays, compared to the larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or is transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, Linsey said. Marr, Virginia Tech aerosol expert. Aerosols are released even when a symptom-free person exhales, speaks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have summarized the evidence in an open letter to the World Organization. Of the health.
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What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
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What is the best material for a mask?
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Does Covid-19 transmit asymptomatic?
- So far, the evidence seems to show that it does. A widely cited article published in April suggests that people are most infectious approximately two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms, and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were the result of transmission from people who still had no symptoms. Recently, a senior expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people without symptoms was “very rare,” but later withdrew that claim.
While the nuns lead predominantly contemplative lives and live in monasteries, the Felician sisters are involved in various ministries, including education and childcare, and provide assistance to prisoners, at-risk youth and those living in poverty.
Formal religious orders have historically worked on the front lines of medical care in the United States, contributing to the comfort of patients during epidemics, including the Black Death in the Middle Ages and the 1918 flu pandemic.
Many helped establish and work as administrators in health care centers that later became nonprofit or corporate hospitals. In 1889, the Sisters of San Francisco helped the Mayo family establish St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, an organization now known worldwide as the Mayo Clinic.
“Many of them had a lot to do with the origin of a hospital in the Middle Ages, particularly the plague,” said Howard Markel, a medical historian at the University of Michigan. “People came for relief and religious aid and basic nursing.”
The community living arrangements of convents and their close pastoral care in communities meant that they could be particularly susceptible to infections such as the coronavirus.
“He is a great canary in a coal mine,” added Dr. Markel, who studies epidemiology. “Even with the best-kept measures, community life at this point is high risk, especially for the elderly.”
