Call the Midwife_S05_EP02 EMBARGOED UNTIL JANUARY 20TH 2016
L-R: Nurse Barbara (Charlotte Ritchie), Sister Evangelina (Pam Ferris), Nurse Phyllis (Linda Bassett), in the BBC series "Call the Midwife," which also airs on PBS.
(Sophie Mutevelian / BBC / PBS photo)
My mother, Grace, and her seven siblings were all born in their Mercer Street home in Jersey City by midwives, which was common until later into the 20th century. The medical necessity of midwives was lessened by the rise of maternity hospitals, like the Margaret Hague in Jersey City. Now general hospitals are the sites of most births. But midwifery is making a comeback in some areas. And it may be because of the popularity of "Call the Midwife," the BBC series imported by PBS to U.S. viewers. The show just completed its fifth season, and repeats continue to be shown regularly. If you can, watch them.
"Call the Midwife" follows an Anglican group of nuns, the Community of St. John the Divine, in their clinic in the East End of London called Poplar. Nurses work with them as they treat poor women and provide them with proper medical care to deliver healthy babies. It also gives a glimpse of the religious life of the women religious who were fully habited back in the late 1950's and early 1960's. Roman Catholic women religious dominated the world scene, but Anglo Catholic religious orders still existed. I remember seeing some of these sisters when they ministered at Grace Van Vorst Episcopal Church on Third and Erie Streets.
The series is based on the memoirs of one of their district nurses, Jennifer Worth. Worth died before she could see her books brought to life on the small screen. The series tackles some tough situations like underage pregnancy, prostitution and illegal abortions. Recent episodes from the fifth season were very moving in different ways. In episode six of the last season, a man is attacking women randomly and his signature is biting into the upper shoulder area of the women. First, a streetwalker is attacked, and one of the nurses at Nonnatus House, the name of the clinic, noticed this unusual bite. But the streetwalker feared the police and refused to come forward. The nuns and nurses are well-respected by the community, especially the police. Then a mother who left the clinic is also attacked and is worried that she might be mistaken for a streetwalker.
Now the police are trying to put a profile together. Finally, Sister Mary Cynthia, played by Bryony Hannah, stops riding her bicycle on a pier at the time her sisters are praying back at the convent, so that she can pray with them in absentia. Sister Cynthia is attacked and is really roughed up; this petite nun is now filled with anger. Eventually, the police find the attacker because of Sister Cynthia's description. It was moving to see how this community of nuns and lay women gave her the space to vent -- but also supported her back to health.
In the last episode of season five, Sister Evangelina dies. The subsequent mourning was done quite eloquently. Played by Pam Ferris, Sister Evangelina is one of the older, crusty sisters who seemed out of sorts; and then, all of a sudden, the maintenance man finds her dead on the living room chair. As the sisters and community prepare for the funeral, there is strong reaction from Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) who objects to a mandatory autopsy because she died in the convent. She could not fathom how her mutilated body would look on the resurrection of the dead.
Looks also figured prominently in 1961, when the thalidomide scandal rocked Europe and the sisters were finding babies born with no or deformed limbs. It appeared that one of the drugs given to the expectant mothers as a sedative caused the deformities.
In real life, the sisters had to leave Poplar for Birmingham in 1976, and they modernized in dress as did most women religious. It's these sisters who advised the producers of the show. In an online story, the sisters said, "They have the costumes spot-on. One of the producers visited us here in Birmingham, and we showed her how we would dress ourselves using an old habit that we still have." The sisters noted how they lacked the equipment available today.
They no longer practice midwifery but now offer guidance and counseling to their local community. "Every birth is unique and so is every child. It was the most wonderful vocation to have."
Sadly they had to leave recently their residence in Birmingham since they could not afford fixing up their residence. But their legacy of helping poor women and mothers is now well-known because of "Call the Midwife."
Rev. Alexander Santora is pastor of The Church of Our Lady of Grace & St. Joseph in Hoboken. Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter @padrehoboken