12 Detroit-Area Nuns Died In One Month From Coronavirus: Report

DETROIT, MI — Twelve Detroit-area nuns died in one month due to the coronavirus, beginning on Good Friday, according to a report by CNN published Wednesday.

The nuns were members of the Felician Sisters convent in Livonia and ranged in age from 69 to 99, according to the report. While 12 died in April, a 13th sister died in June due to complications stemming from her bout with the virus.

The loss of the 13 nuns may be the worst loss of life to a community of religious women in the U.S. since the 1918 influenza pandemic, CNN reported.

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"We grieve for each of our sisters who has passed during the time of the pandemic throughout the province, and we greatly appreciate all of those who are holding us in prayer and supporting us in a number of ways," Sister Mary Christopher Moore, provincial minister of Our Lady of Hope Province, told CNN.

The sisters taught, helped at-risk children, playing music and even published a 586-page book about the convent's history, according to the report.

The Detroit area has been adversely affected by the respiratory virus, which has claimed the lives of over 6,000 people in Michigan as of Wednesday. Wayne County in of itself has reported nearly 12,000 cases of the virus and over 1,000 deaths.

The state has reported over 75,000 cases of the coronavirus as of Wednesday.

You can read the full CNN story here.