Coronavirus At Maryknoll: Loss, Love During Global Pandemic

OSSINING, NY — At the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Ossining, the story of the new coronavirus pandemic is one of tragedy, endurance, kindness and faith. Three Maryknoll Sisters have died of COVID-19; 30 sisters and 10 staffers have tested positive so far.

As the 200 residents hunker down to weather the outbreak, they are receiving unexpected support from all over the world and learning new ways to live in community.

These women are world travelers, whose lives include waves of hard work and higher education, who educate and counsel and care for young and old all over the world as nurses, doctors, teachers, theologians, social workers and conservationists. Maryknoll began in 1912, the first group of Catholic Sisters in the United States founded for overseas mission.

Back at the center which is also the order's retirement home, they are among the global victims. And as the center follows all the procedures advised by health officials, expenses for medical care, medical supplies, proper medical grade cleaning services, etc. have dramatically increased.

They started a fundraising campaign to cover those costs, which has generated far more than they expected and in unexpected ways.

For example, they've been getting care packages of masks, gloves and other protective equipment from some of the sisters and priests in China who had studied at colleges across the United States through the Maryknoll Society's formation program.

"This was Maryknoll reaching out 15-20 years ago to help the church in China and now the church in China is reaching out to help us here," Sister Antoinette Gutzler, president of the Maryknoll Sisters, told Patch.

Another care package came from the daughter of a former Maryknoller who had served in Taiwan. More donations are coming in from Hong Kong and the Philippines.

"We had two schools in Hong Kong, years and years and years ago," Sister Antoinette said. "I just had an email a couple of days ago from an alumna saying 'let me order bottles of water, do you need antiseptic wipes?' We really taught how love and service is an important part of life. It's never a quid pro quo, but it's a return in ways we never expected."

Also, anonymous benefactors have offered a match up to $10,000 for every dollar the center raises to help with the sisters' medical care during the outbreak.

To donate, click here.

As people who live in community, the sisters have had to separate themselves in myriad ways that are spiritual as well as a physical challenges.

"One of the most difficult things for is at this time is that we cannot be with out sisters who are ill and pray by their bedside," Sister Antoinette said. "Our custom is to gather at the bedside. When a sister passes away we have certain prayers that we say, and our tradition is to sing the Salve Regina."

Not being able to do that puts them in solidarity with everyone in the state and around the world who cannot be with their loved ones, she said.

At the beginning of the outbreak, they began social distancing in the communal dining room, and found unexpected gifts in deeper conversation. Now they're staying in their rooms, having meals delivered, so that part of community life is on hold.

"The other big change that really strikes to our hearts — a month ago we had to stop all our communal prayer together," Sister Antoinette said.

It being the most important time of the year — Holy Week — they came up with an ingenious alternative. Sisters took their prayer books and their desk chairs and sat outside the doors to their rooms, making the hallways an impromptu worship space.

In addition, they've revived an old practice using new technology.

"Years and years ago we had prayer 24 hours a day. Any time during the day people knew a Maryknoll sister was praying," she said.

Now, because they cannot gather together the sisters here have started up a practice of continuous prayer from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. Anyone around the globe who wants to pray can know that someone is praying too, so they're part of a community. Anyone who wants to can "light a candle" on the sisters' website and submit a prayer request.

Meanwhile, it remains a top priority to contain the virus as much as possible, to keep their employees and staff at the center safe, and the rest of the Sisters safe.

The confirmed cases are temporarily transferred to another facility to receive further medical care. More than half of them have recovered and returned to their rooms. Some Sisters have low grade fevers and are being closely monitored by medical staff.

Three have died.

"We remember the beautiful spirits of our Sisters who have been called home to God and pray our other Sisters and Staff will fully recover and return home soon," Sister Antoinette said.