Prepare for a heartbreaking story as we recount the tragedy at a Roman Catholic convent in Livonia, Michigan, where thirteen nuns, aged sixty-nine to ninety-nine, lost their lives to COVID-19. These extraordinary women, who had devoted their lives to service, fell victim to the virus that spread rapidly through their close-knit community after two aides unknowingly brought it inside.

Dubbed “the worst loss of life to a community of women religious since the 1918 influenza pandemic,” this devastating outbreak claimed a nun nearly every other day over a month. Unable to attend the funerals due to strict health guidelines, the surviving sisters faced unimaginable grief. Noel Marie Gabriel, director of clinical health services, described the period as “a month of tragedy, sorrow, mourning, and grieving,” underscoring the profound impact of this loss.