The School Sisters of Notre Dame confirmed the deaths of CNN daughter WTMJ, adding that the sisters died from complications caused by the virus.
“Each of our sisters is really important,” Sister Debra Sciano, the provincial leader of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province’s School Sisters, told the news station. “Not just for us, but we feel like they’ve touched thousands of lives that we’ll never be aware of.”
According to the School Sisters of Notre Dame website, the facility was first established as an orphanage, but later became a home for elderly and ailing sisters.
The congregation said they have confirmed cases among the sisters living in the facility but have not released the number of infections, the affiliate said.
It added that the sisters have followed CDC guidelines, which include wearing masks, socializing and washing hands regularly, the station reported.
“We are extra careful about getting their meals in rooms and they can’t get together,” Sciano told the branch. “More testing, being tested for the virus twice a week.”
Among the sisters lost to the virus was Sister Rose Feess, who was known for her “ educational prowess, especially her attention to grammar and writing, her faith, her keen humor, and her love for cats, ” wrote Notre Dame School of Milwaukee in a Facebook post.
Another, Sister Lillia Langreck, had been “deeply involved in racial and social justice efforts for the past 60 years,” the affiliate said, including the Milwaukee Marches for Fair Homes and Integrated Bus Transportation.
CNN’s Artemis Moshtaghian contributed to this report.