Believe it or not, the character is loosely based on a real midwife named Sister Mary Evangelista from the 1900s. But even the real one kept her exact age a secret—nuns love a good mystery. The show’s creator, Heidi Thomas, has said she imagines Sister Monica Joan being “ageless”, like a wise old oak tree.
In fact, the character’s age shifts depending on her mood. One episode she’s a frail 90-year-old needing a walker; the next, she’s a feisty 60-year-old chasing a thief. Isn’t that how age really works for all of us? Some days you feel 25, other days you feel like a fossil. Sister Monica Joan just owns it.
Fun Comparisons to Wrap Your Head Around
If you need a visual, imagine someone who was alive when Queen Victoria was still on the throne. Picture a woman who was born before sliced bread was invented (yep, 1928 is late to the party for her). She’s older than Coca-Cola by a few years—let that soda fizz in your brain.
BBC Call The Midwife Sister Monica Joan's fate 'sealed' after tragic
Or try this: Sister Monica Joan was in her 20s when the first Call the Midwife books were being written in the 1930s. She basically lived the entire history of modern midwifery. That’s like being a living time capsule wrapped in a wimple.
