(Newser)
– Eight nuns living in a nursing home for sisters in Milwaukee, on the outskirts, died of complications from COVID-19 last week, four of them the same day, according to the congregation that runs the house. School Sisters in the Central Pacific province of Notre Dame said other sisters living in Notre Dame of Elm Grove have also been diagnosed with COVID-19, but the international women’s congregation declined to provide additional details, citing the privacy of the residents. “All CDC guidelines are being followed on the care of sisters affected by COVID-19 and to prevent the spread of the virus, including masks, social distancing and hand washing,” the statement said in a statement. School Sisters of Notre Dame. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the sisters, their caregivers and their families. We invite you to join in prayer for all those affected by the pandemic.”
The outbreak comes months after similar homes for aging religious had reported several coronavirus deaths. In July, 13 nuns died at a convent near Detroit and seven died at a center for the 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 memorial for the nuns of the St. Francis School Sisters and the Notre Dame School Sisters. Convents share some of the same problems as nursing homes, which are the U.S. sector most affected by COVID-19. In many cases, their populations are elderly and live in nearby areas. Congregation website Elm Grove said sisters Cynthia Borman, Joan Emily Kaul, Lillia Langreck and Michael Marie Laux died Monday. Sister Mary Alexius Portz died Sunday. Sister Dorothy MacIntyre died on December 11 and sisters Rose M. Feess and Mary Elva Wiesner died on December 9.
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