76-Year-Old Nun Bravely Thwarts Thieves by Knocking Down Their Ladder: ‘God Gave Me Courage’

There’s one nun in Brooklyn, New York, you wouldn’t want to mess with – she thwarted thieves from stealing scraps by knocking down their means of escaping. Her bravery helped the police identify the criminals and inspired the public to do what they could in times of trouble.

Sometimes, heroic deeds are done by the most unexpected people and at the most unexpected times. While many would expect nuns to go about their business and keep away from trouble, one nun went out of her way to protect her home and the rest of the community.

At the Response to Love Center in New York, 76-year-old Sister Johnice heard a noise from people she recognized as thieves. She heard pounding, and that’s when she felt God telling her to open the door.

The Thieves Were In for a Surprise

Upon opening their door, Sister Johnice immediately saw a ladder. She looked up and realized someone was attempting to steal some scraps from the building, which they’d likely sell at the scrapyard.

The thieves would soon be reminded of one of God’s commandments, “thou shall not steal,” the hard way. They messed with the wrong building, which was a Christian community center!

The thieves | Source: Facebook.com/Response to Love Center

Sister Johnice was struck with divine inspiration upon seeing the ladder. “I grabbed the ladder, even kicked and pushed it,” she recalled. The whole ordeal was caught on video, where you could see the nun struggling to get the heavy ladder out of the way. After a while, the ladder slowly fell and even hit the door, causing a powerful noise.

[Sister Johnice] believes God put her there for a reason and felt that at that moment, her call was there.

Sister Johnice | Source: Facebook.com/Response to Love Center

Reminding Them of God’s Place

The thieves were surprised by Sister Johnice’s actions, and one was left on the roof. He had no choice but to jump and run away, but not without Sister Johnice giving him a stern warning. She pointed her finger at the bad guy and said: “Get away. Go! This is God’s place.”

Looking back at that unexpected day, Sister Johnice can’t help but be amazed by what she had done. They found out that the thieves were after copper pipes, but little did they know the community center didn’t have any.

Sister Johnice | Source: Facebook.com/Response to Love Center

Crediting God for the Courage

With so many people giving Sister Johnice all the best compliments, she has reiterated that the whole situation was not about her bravery but God. She believes God put her there for a reason and felt that at that moment, her call was there. She added: “You go where God sends you, and I was on a mission.”

Ultimately, Sister Johnice is grateful for the courage God gave her. At the end of the day, she is at peace knowing she has photos of the thieves which they reported to the authorities, and the ladder they used as their gateway to steal. She believes that having the ladder in their possession spared other homes from being targets of burglaries. She even joked:

“I said thank you God – you sent us a gift, so we have a ladder now!”

Praise for Sister Johnice

Upon hearing about Sister Johnice’s act of courage, people couldn’t help but commend her. Others also joked about how God “trolled” the thieves, having a nun shame them by removing their only means of escaping:

“God literally trolled the dude. Imagine the shame of having your crime foiled by a nun removing your only method of escape.” – Kheishatheblackcat (January 21, 2023)

“There is no one like her. Don’t let her diminutive size fool you! She has the heart of a warrior and the compassion of the Angels! Bless her and keep her safe.” – Suzanne Linda (January 17, 2023)

“I LOVE Sister Johnice! She is the sweetest lady on the earth. She cares for her people & her community like no one else. The world needs more people like her.” – Laurie Bettinger (January 17, 2023)

“She is one of the greatest achievers, who stand up, speak up, take care of the community, gets it done… She is unbelievable!!” – Alan Jeffrey (January 17, 2023)

The world needs more people like Sister Johnice! May her actions inspire others to do the same – to look after their neighbors and stay vigilant about what’s happening around them.

Click here to read the story of the police and an entire community stepping in to help retrieve a tip jar that was stolen from a lemonade stand put up by kids.