Call the Midwife’s Sister Veronica makes a startling admission – raising huge questions

by

Before the new season of Call the Midwife begins, Rebecca Gethings hinted that Sister Veronica will undergo a significant and lasting transformation due to the direction of her story.

She hinted at an exciting adventure for Sister Veronica. “I’m not sure where she’ll go,” she said, “but she’s definitely in for some new and unexpected experiences.”

“She’ll be forever changed by this series – so watch this space!”

And in the premiere, which aired on Sunday 11th January, the reason why became clear.

During a heartfelt conversation with Trixie’s brother, Geoffrey, Sister Veronica – actually named Beryl – revealed something surprising. She spoke about the difficulties of her chosen life and the sacrifices it requires, explaining that the real problem isn’t being silenced, but the things she can never express – the truths that could leave her vulnerable. She believes she simply can’t risk that exposure.

Hearing Geoffrey say no one wants to listen to complaints, it finally broke Sister Veronica’s silence. She confessed something deeply personal, something she’d clearly held back for a long time. She told me, with such vulnerability, that she desperately wants a child – a baby of her own to love and protect forever. She fears time is running out, and that dream might never come true.

Sister Veronica is usually strong, but the recent case of the Kingsley children – who suffered abuse and neglect – seems to have overwhelmed her. She told Cyril, clearly upset, “I can’t understand how anyone could be so cruel to such wonderful children.”

It appears Sister Veronica is preparing to dedicate herself to a child in a very direct way. This raises the question of how becoming a mother would impact her life as a nun.

Although some women have become nuns after having children, choosing to be a mother while continuing to serve God presents a different challenge – one that would deeply test Sister Veronica’s dedication to her order. This is similar to what happened with Shelagh, who was once Sister Bernadette, and fell in love with Dr. Turner, ultimately leaving religious life to marry him and start a family.

A 2013 article in The Guardian told the story of Sister Eleanor, a nun and midwife in 1960s Liverpool, who started to desire a family of her own. This illustrates a real-life instance of this phenomenon.

Eleanor eventually chose to leave the convent, but she continued her work as a midwife. She and her husband later adopted two children after facing difficulties starting a family on their own. While she sometimes thought fondly of her time in the convent, she was happy with the life she built.

“But I’ve never forgotten those extraordinary years when I was Sister Eleanor, either,” she added.

It’s unclear what Sister Veronica will decide, but a preview of next week’s episode suggests she may adopt Christopher. He’s the son of May Turner’s mother, Esther Tang, and is currently staying with the family to receive chemotherapy. While the initial plan was for him to return to Hong Kong after his treatment, adoption now seems like a possibility.

She strongly wants to have a biological child, and feels a sense of urgency about it, possibly because of her age. This suggests she might consider fertility treatments to help her get pregnant.

Honestly, if Sister Veronica were to have a baby, it would really make us all think about what it means for her as a nun and what her future would be here at Nonnatus House. It’s a complicated situation, and we’d have to consider everything carefully.

Gethings noted that she’s a truly remarkable woman. He admitted that despite thinking he understood her well at the start of the season, she’s proven him – and herself – wrong. It’s as if she’s really coming into her own as a woman.

She has a hidden, more passionate side that she’s long suppressed, likely due to her religious life, but she’s starting to recognize and accept it now.

Want to see this content?

I’m so frustrated – it looks like Google’s reCAPTCHA is blocking me from seeing this! Apparently, I need to sign out of Contentpass first to get it to work. Hopefully that fixes it so I can finally view what I came here for.

Call the Midwife season 15 airs on Sundays at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Don’t miss Call the Midwife! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app now for daily TV suggestions, exclusive features, and more.

Authors

Abby RobinsonDrama Editor

Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor at TopMob, where she writes about TV dramas and comedies. Before that, she was a TV writer for Digital Spy and a content writer for Mumsnet. She has a degree and a postgraduate diploma in English Studies.

Read More

2026-01-12 00:35