Book Review: "God's Will: The Life and Works of Sr. Mary Wilhelmina"

Book Review: "God's Will: The Life and Works of Sr. Mary Wilhelmina, Foundress of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles"

Around Memorial Day weekend in 2023, news about an incorrupt Black nun made headlines. The nun was Sister Mary Wilhelmina Lancaster, O.S.B., the foundress of the Benedictine nuns of Mary, Queen of Apostles, who are affiliated with the Abbey of Our Lady of Ephesus.

She passed away at the abbey on May 29, 2019, which coincided with Ascension Day for those observing it on Thursday. At the time of her passing, she was 95 years old. Her upbringing took place in Saint Louis, Missouri, where she attended Catholic schools designated for African Americans. Her mother, a devout Catholic, successfully converted her husband and acted as a source of inspiration for their entire family. Sister Wilhelmina soon discerned that God was calling her to a religious vocation. During her high school years, she encountered the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the order she eventually decided to join—a significant choice given that it was an African American missionary order. Within this order, she served as both a teacher and an archivist. However, her dissatisfaction with the liturgical reforms arising from the Second Vatican Council, and their impact on the Oblates' way of life, led to disillusionment.

Sister Wilhelmina eventually became involved with the Fraternity of Saint Peter, who wished to have an order of women who wanted to follow the pre-councilor way of religious life. While initially three women participated, she ended up being the only one to move forward with the project. 

She discovered her calling to live the Benedictine way of life. Eventually, other women joined her cause, resulting in the formation of a substantial community of Benedictine nuns who became famous for their Catholic music, available on CDs and other formats. They gained enough money that they built their abbey in Gower, Missouri which is near Kansas City, Missouri. The nuns had looked into building in Oklahoma, but that fell through.

This book not only presents Sister Wilhelmina's biography but also includes her poems and other writings. Throughout the book, readers will find both color and black-and-white illustrations. It's important for readers to remain attentive to the text of the biography, since the poems and other sidebar material can mislead the reader if they do not pay attention.  

The biography, which draws on some of Sister's autobiographical material, is very down to earth and shows the personality of this very humble nun. The book features accounts of visions and miracles, although they don't contribute to her canonization since they happened before the Vatican has decided on her cause. Some readers might take offense at Sister's statements and actions. Her opposition to the liturgical reforms of Vatican II and her concerns about the relaxation of religious life might prove divisive.

Ironically, Sister's patron was the Benedictine Saint William the Abbot since she did not start out as a Benedictine. She was a very devout and spiritual woman who was feisty and stuck to her principles. This book comes highly recommended, particularly for those who appreciate the music of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles—I, myself, possess several of their CDs.

Br. Benet Exton, O.S.B., of Saint Gregory's Abbey in Shawnee, serves as a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.