Kidnapped Nun Found Safe 5 Months After Going Missing: "Thanks Be To God!"
Sister Suellen Tennyson, a Louisiana nun who was kidnapped five months ago, has been found alive. Sister Suellen, 83, of the Marianites of the Holy Cross, was kidnapped by armed gunmen in Yalgo, Burkina Faso on April 4th, according to Today.
Sister Ann Lacour, congregational leader of the Marianites of Holy Cross, confirmed that Sister Suellen had been freed and was in U.S. custody.
“She is safe,” Sister Ann told the Clarion Herald. “She is on American soil, but not in America. She is safe. She was recovered [Monday] morning. We have spoken to her. She eventually will get back to the United States.”
Sister Ann reported to the Clarion Herald that she had spoken to Sister Suellen via phone.
“She’s totally worn out,” she said. “I told her how much people love her, and she doesn’t have anything to worry about. I told her, ‘You are alive and safe. That’s all that matters.”
Sister Suellen was serving as a pastoral minister, Sister Ann reported to the Clarion Herald. Her main role was “to wipe tears, give hugs, import a smile. She really did support the people that work in the clinic that the parish runs.”
Between April 4th and 5th, Sister Suellen was kidnapped from her convent in the middle of the night. Other women who were present at the convent reported that she had been taken out of her bed, barefoot, leaving behind her glasses, phone and blood pressure medication. Sister Ann said in an e-bulletin that there were about 10 men involved with the kidnapping. They destroyed nearly everything in the house, ruining many of its contents, reported the Clarion Herald.
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana shared his joy in a Facebook post about the safe return of Sister Suellen. “It’s a prayer answered,” he said. “Thankful for her safety.”
While Sister Suellen is safe, it is clear that she has been through a terrifying ordeal. She is currently waiting for a full health assessment and will eventually decide where she goes next, according to Today. All of our prayers go out to Sister Suellen in the hopes that God continues to watch over her.
