Longtime prison chaplain ‘Queen Mother’ celebrates 100th birthday

“Queen Mother” Helen Sinclair smiles during her 100th birthday celebration Saturday afternoon at Houston (Jessie “Ma”) Park in Bronzeville. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

The Rev. Helen Sinclair, known as “Queen Mother,” is three days away from her 100th birthday — but she doesn’t feel like it.

“It kind of feels like it did when I was 40,” she said with laugh and beaming smile while surrounded by friends and family who gathered Saturday to celebrate the momentous occasion.

The longtime prison chaplain said she often seems to have more energy than other members of her team when she visits inmates in the state’s penal institutions — still standing when others need to take a breather and sit down.

“That shows me that there’s something a little different about me,” Sinclair said.

There was something a little different about her pioneering mother, too.

Rev. Jesse “Ma” Houston was instrumental in prison reform and was the first woman allowed to serve as a minister to prisoners on death row in Illinois.

Sinclair’s celebration took place at Houston (Jessie “Ma”) Park, which is named in honor of her mother in Bronzeville.

“I remember her passion. I remember her courage. That was a brave woman,” Sinclair said of her mom.

A vegan, Sinclair partly credits her vigor and longevity to the diet, which she said she got from her mother.

“I’ve been eating very well, “ she said. “In fact my momma always ate very carefully, too.”

The Rev. Helen “Queen Mother” Sinclair, a long-time prison chaplain, talks to her friends during her 100th birthday celebration Saturday.

Sinclair’s birthdate is July 14, but festivities were held over the weekend to make it easier for people to attend the celebration.

One her six children, 65-year-old Ryan Sinclair, drove up from Jacksonville, Florida, and said believes his mother’s long life is attributable to her being able to stay level-headed even when things around her are stormy.

“She lives the serenity prayer,” he said, which asks God to grant wisdom and courage in the face of challenges.

“She accepts what she can’t change, changes what she can and has the wisdom to know the difference. She doesn’t dwell a lot on stuff she can’t do anything about.”

Her driver, Rev. Marie Buscemi, said officials and inmates alike adore Sinclair and throw out the red carpet for her when she visits.

“We went to Pinckneyville and they drove her up to the door of the gym. Inside the penitentiary she had all the corrections officers come pick us up,” Buscemi said.

The pair were heartbroken at not being able to minister to inmates when the state shut down prison to visitors due to concern over the spread of the coronavirus.

Some of the party guests haven’t known Sinclair long, but she’s still managed to make an impression.

“Queen Mother” Helen Sinclair speaks to her great nephew Elliott Watson on Saturday.

Elliott Watson, 57, who lives in Indiana, found out only last year that Sinclair was his great aunt after a niece went on Ancestry.com and made the connection.

Watson says he tries to see her at least once a month.

“She’s a beautiful person; what I like about her most is she’s sharp,” he said. “She’s been everywhere.”

Greeting his aunt with a hug Saturday, Watson asked, “Well, how you doing?”

“I’m doing marvelous, “she replied quickly. “You know I always do marvelous. That’s what I do, is do marvelous.”