The real reason why Sister Wilhelmina’s order of nuns is thriving

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(LifeSiteNews) — Joining me on this episode of The John Henry Westen Show is Sister Misericordia of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles in Gower, Missouri.

She discusses the order’s daily routine, devotion to the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) and Divine Office, Sister Wilhelmina’s incorrupt body, her love of the TLM and Church tradition, and more.

After describing the rigorous daily work and fasting routine of the nuns and their cloistered life, I asked Sr. Misericordia about some of their traditional devotions, as they are a traditional order of nuns.

“We were blessed to be founded under the aegis of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter [FSSP], who really got our community off the ground, giving us a place to stay, work to do, [a] chaplain, classes, everything for our formation,” the nun said.

“We are very blessed to have the Traditional Latin Mass every day. And we do the traditional monastic office, the Divine Office, in its fullness. And we’re glad to be able to share that with all of our visitors,” she added.

I jumped in to ask Sr. Misericordia to clarify what she meant by the “traditional office.”  

She explained that the traditional Divine Office, or Liturgy of the Hours, is the division of Psalms that are recited or sung throughout the day in religious communities, and Benedictines are particularly devoted to this ancient practice.

“[The Gregorian chants] really stem from the liturgy of the temple where a lot of these melodies originally came from, and was specially developed by Pope St. Gregory the Great. And it was really the Benedictines that have really written and added, and really codified, all of the Gregorian chant in its fullness, and it is offered daily throughout the Divine Office,” Sr. Misericordia said.

“So, the Psalms, the way they are sung – the melodies, the hymns, and the many beautiful antiphons that occur before and after each song – that is the Divine Office, the Traditional Divine Office,” she added.

Later in the episode, I asked Sr. Misericordia about the order’s founder, Sister Wilhelmina, whose incorrupt body has brought international attention to the order, as well as her strong devotion to the TLM. I noted that given the heated debate over the liturgy, it’s almost as if God cast His vote by revealing Sr. Wilhelmina’s body to be incorrupt.

“I think that that’s something, again, Sister Wilhemina just really felt very strongly that there is a place in the Church for those who love this sacred and ancient liturgy. And God seems to think so too, that He would point this out to everyone, that ‘yes, there’s a place for these people in the Church, too,’” she said. 

“And that we’re all God’s children and all of her sacred liturgies that Holy Mother Church has always had are as beautiful … now as they were always. And so I think that God is saying something there,” she added.  

Watch or listen to the full episode to hear more from Sister Misericordia about the Gower nuns.

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