Sr. Mary Helen Wang

Carmelite Sister Helen Wang died peacefully in her sleep on Christmas Eve.  She was born into a war-torn China in 1931 and came to the College of New Rochelle at New York in 1950.  Although she had no religious background and no obligation to attend services, she regularly went to Mass, fell in love with Gregorian chant, joined the choir and converted to Catholicism in 1952.  Sister Helen had two deeply held desires:  to serve God as a contemplative sister and to be useful to China in some way.  She wanted to be a Carmelite and eventually joined the Indianapolis community in 1969.  It was the final stop in a pilgrimage seeking a monastery that was open to renewal and to the adventurous spirit of the second Vatican council.  She made several trips to China during her years in Carmel, was in touch with family and friends and got to know some Chinese Carmelite Sisters who spent many years of their lives in concentration camps.  The memorial liturgy for Sister Helen will be at Srs. of St. Francis Convent Chapel in Oldenburg, Indiana at 3 p.m. on January 3^rd.  For those who cannot attend, services will be live streamed at https://youtu.be/PXQq764OshU. For online condolences go to www.weigelfh.com.