Eight Catholic nuns died in the past week after contracting COVID-19 in a Wisconsin convent for retired nuns; four of them died on the same day, New York Post reported. Sister Debra Marie Sciano, who lives at Notre Dame of Elm Grove in suburban Milwaukee, said the deaths were a tragic, the sisters' advanced age notwithstanding. One of the 88 sisters living at Elm Grove contracted the virus around Thanksgiving. Then, on Dec. 9, Sisters Rose M. Feess and Mary Elva Wiesner died. Sister Dorothy MacIntyre died Dec. 11 and Sister Mary Alexius Portz died Sunday, Dec. 13, according to the website for the order that hosts the retirement home, the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Four of the eight — Sisters Cynthia Borman, Joan Emily Kaul, Lillia Langreck and Michael Marie Laux — all died Dec. 14. All of the women worked as educators, including Wiesner, who taught in Catholic elementary schools for more than 40 years and worked as gift shop coordinator at the home. Some of the sisters served as missionaries, musicians, or peace and justice activists. One of the sisters was a published poet and another spent her summers working on an American Indian reservation in South Dakota.
7:44 AM
Retirement home for nuns sees 8 COVID-related deaths in one week
The sisters served as missionaries, musicians, or peace and justice activists. One as a published poet. Another spent summers ministering to Native Americans on a reservation in South Dakota.
Staff Reporter

Already a subscriber? Sign in
5freearticles every month
Continue reading with a free account. No card needed.
- Five free articles every thirty days, on any device you sign in on
- The Catholic Herald newsletter, every morning
- Subscribe whenever you like for everything: every article and the magazine

subscribe to the catholic herald today
Our best content is exclusively available to our subscribers. Subscribe today and gain instant access to expert analysis, in-depth articles, and thought-provoking insights—anytime, anywhere. Don’t miss out on the conversations that matter most.
Subscribe












