Five nuns die from COVID-19 in the space of three weeks after virus sweeps through their Milwaukee convent

  • Five nuns from Our Lady of the Angels Convent died from coronavirus between April 6 and 26
  • The deaths came despite the fact the convent had implemented social distancing and suspended community activities before it was mandated
  •  Experts say the deaths are reflective of the incredible challenges that nursing homes and other aged care facilities face amidst the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By Andrew Court For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

Five elderly nuns have died within the space of three weeks after coronavirus swept through their Wisconsin convent. 

Sisters Mary Collins, 95, Marie Skender, 83, Mary Sherburne, 99, Annelda Holtkamp, 102, and Bernadette Kelter, 88, all resided at Our Lady of the Angels in Greenfield, Milwaukee - an assisted living facility for clergy suffering from memory loss.  

Convent staff have been left devastated by the deaths, and say they are reflective of the incredible challenges that nursing homes and other aged care facilities face in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Our Lady of the Angels Convent suspended all communal activities and enforced social distancing protocols in early March - long before it was mandatory. They do not know how the virus spread the facility, and all five nuns only tested positive to COVID-19 posthumously.   

In Wisconsin there are at least 7,661 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 335 deaths. 

On April 6, Sister Mary Collins was the first nun at the convent to pass away - just three days after she developed a mild cough. 

Five elderly nuns have died within the space of three weeks after coronavirus swept through their Wisconsin convent. Sister Mary Collins, 95, passed away April 6
Sister Marie Skender, 83, passed away April 7

Five elderly nuns have died within the space of three weeks after coronavirus swept through their Wisconsin convent. Sister Mary Collins (left) passed away April 6, while Sister Marie Skender (right) died April 7

Our Lady of the Angels Convent suspended all communal activities and enforced social distancing protocols in early March - long before it was mandatory. They do not know how the virus spread the facility, and all five nuns only tested positive to COVID-19 posthumously

Our Lady of the Angels Convent suspended all communal activities and enforced social distancing protocols in early March - long before it was mandatory. They do not know how the virus spread the facility, and all five nuns only tested positive to COVID-19 posthumously

Vigilant staff had been testing residents for COVID-19, and tried to test Sister Collins. However, the elderly nun had dementia and was 'too combative' to tolerate the invasive process.  A post-mortem revealed that she was suffering from the virus. 

Then - in the space of just two days - two more nuns at Our Lady of the Angels suddenly passed away.    

Sister Skender, 83, died April 7, while Sister Sherburne, 99, died April 9. Posthumous tests revealed they were both infected with COVID-19.  

At the same time, the virus was spreading rapidly through Milwaukee. 

Wisconsin has 6,854 cases of COVID-19, with nearly half of those clustered within Milwaukee County. 

Sister Mary Sherburne, 99, passed away April  9
Sister Annelda Holtkamp, 102, died April 19

Sister Mary Sherburne (right) passed away April 9, while Sister Annelda Holtkamp, 102, died April 19

Our Lady of the Angels suffered further heartbreak on April 19, when Sister Holtkamp, 102, passed away. It was later confirmed that she, too, had coronavirus. 

Sister Kelter, 88, became the fifth nun at the convent to die from COVID-19 on April 26. 

She had previously tested negative for the virus earlier in the month. 

Darren Rausch, the director and health officer for the Greenfield Health Department, told The New York Times that convent staff had been on constant contact with him throughout the pandemic. 

He theorizes that doctors and nurses at the facility were presented with extra difficulties given the patients suffered from memory loss, and several had dementia. 

'It’s definitely very challenging. They can’t always vocalize what’s going on,' he stated. 

An administrator from Our Lady of The Angels told The Times: '“We welcome prayers for the health and comfort of our residents and staff as we grieve the loss of our sisters'. 

Sister Kelter, 88, became the fifth nun at the convent to die from COVID-19 on April 26

Sister Kelter, 88, became the fifth nun at the convent to die from COVID-19 on April 26

 

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