“The Case of the Missing Virgin” Has Woman Stumped

“The Case of the Missing Virgin,” has Sr. Charity Keolsch stumped and it’s a mystery she hopes to solve in her remaining time on earth.

Because she will be 92 in two months, she realizes time is of the essence and she hopes that Catholic Herald readers can help solve the case.

To lay the groundwork, a little background on Sr. Charity – but very little, since she’s a private person who shies away from publicity.

Born in Milwaukee, she joined the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1942, but when the winds of Vatican II blew, she no longer felt comfortable with the order. Instead, with Bishop Leo Brust’s approval, she professed private vows and since 1976 she has lived her life as a consecrated virgin.

In this capacity, she supported herself as a toy designer, but continues to wear a habit and goes by the name Sr. Charity. Always drawn to the poor, especially homeless and “bag ladies,” Sr. Charity followed in the footsteps of two of her role models: Mother Teresa and Dorothy Day. She met both and worked with Dorothy Day for some time.

As a consecrated virgin, she worked for more than 10 years at an Episcopal shelter in Chicago and the last 12 years of her working life – until age 87 – were spent helping out at the Cathedral Center in downtown Milwaukee.

...later...

“They looked all over and couldn’t find her. There was no record of anybody donating a Blessed Mother statue,” she said. In the year or so that has followed, several of Sr. Charity’s friends have tried to help her find the statue, but to no avail. Erato’s daughter, Annmarie, drove Sr. Charity around looking for it. However, it remains lost.

continue at Milwaukee Catholic Herald