8 nuns die of COVID-19 in last week at Wisconsin convent

Eight nuns living at a suburban Milwaukee convent have died of COVID-19 in the last week, according to the School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province

Virus Outbreak Wisconsin Nuns (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Eight nuns living at a retirement home for sisters in suburban Milwaukee died of COVID-19 complications in the last week, including four who passed away on the same day, according to the congregation that runs the home.

The School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province said other sisters who live at Notre Dame of Elm Grove have also been diagnosed with COVID-19 but the international congregation of women declined to provide additional details, citing the residents' privacy.

“All CDC guidelines are being followed regarding the care of sisters affected by COVID-19 and to avoid spread of the virus, including wearing masks, social distancing and handwashing," the School Sisters of Notre Dame said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the sisters, their caregivers and families. We invite you to join us in prayer for all those affected by the pandemic.”

The outbreak comes months after similar homes for the aging religious had reported multiple deaths from the coronavirus. According to a report in July, 1 3 nuns died at a convent near Detroit and seven died at a center for Maryknoll sisters in New York. At least six nuns also died at Our Lady of the Angels convent in Greenfield, Wisconsin — a home that provides memory care for nuns of the School Sisters of St. Francis and the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

Convents share some of the same issues as nursing homes, which are the hardest-hit sector in the U.S. in terms of COVID-19 deaths. In many cases, their populations are elderly and live in close quarters with one another.

In Elm Grove, the most recent COVID-19 deaths happened since Dec. 9.

According to the congregation's website, Sisters Cynthia Borman, Joan Emily Kaul, Lillia Langreck and Michael Marie Laux died on Monday. Sister Mary Alexius Portz died Sunday. Sister Dorothy MacIntyre died on Dec. 11 and Sisters Rose M. Feess and Mary Elva Wiesner died Dec. 9.

Information about the sisters was limited. The congregation’s website says MacIntyre was 88 and had worked as a teacher.

Feess was 91 and worked as a teacher and principal. According to a profile posted on the website, she spent most of her career teaching junior high students in Wisconsin. She retired from full-time teaching in 2010 but continued to work as a volunteer teacher at Notre Dame Middle School.

In the profile, Feess said she always loved teaching, but she had a special love for her experiences in the summer when she worked on an American Indian reservation in South Dakota. She also said she enjoyed working with the poor and homeless.

Wiesner was 94 and taught in Catholic elementary schools for more than 40 years. She also worked as a director of religious education and a liturgist. She eventually moved to Elm Grove, where she worked part-time as a gift shop coordinator from 2002 through 2016, according to a profile on the website.

The School Sisters of Notre Dame established the Notre Dame of Elm Grove home in 1859 to provide an orphanage for children in the area. It later became a home for elderly and ill sisters, according to its website.

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Forliti reported from Minneapolis.