'Chainsaw Nun' Enjoys Attention But Not Necessarily Beer

MIAMI, FL — If you don't believe God moves in mysterious ways you need only ask Sister Margaret Ann to tell you about her Hurricane Irma experience. The principal of Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School, who became a global internet sensation, was honored by the Florida Panthers ice hockey team and has inspired a "surprisingly easy drinking" new beer — all in the space of little more than a month. Most people now know her simply as Miami's chainsaw nun.

"Those trees were in the way. It was unsafe. Something needed to be done to help out and I just wanted to help," recalled Sister Margaret Ann in an interview with Patch on Tuesday afternoon. That explains how the good sister came to be wielding a chainsaw after Hurricane Irma left a "tangled mass of fallen trees" along the road between the high school and the convent where she lives with three other sisters.

An off-duty Miami-Dade police officer just happened to capture Sister Margaret Ann on video in her windblown religious habit as she chipped away at a fallen tree. Chainsaws are not generally part of her daily routine but fortunately Sister Margaret Ann turned to a higher authority for guidance, in this case the internet.

"I’ve used it a little bit before because we’ve been clearing some brush off the school campus, but I couldn’t remember how to start it," she said of the chainsaw. "I had to Google 'how to start a chainsaw' and that’s how I started it that day."

Watch: Sister Margaret Ann In Action

Within an hour or two after the video was posted on the Miami-Dade Police Department's Twitter account, CNN called to do a live interview. Then, other news organizations followed from across the United States and other countries. The phone hasn't stopped ringing since and Sister Margaret Ann's Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles haven't experienced this much excitement since the Second Vatican Council.

"The students like it a lot. They think it’s fun and they like the idea that their school is getting that kind of attention," she explained. "It’s exciting for the students and actually for the sisters even back in California. Wherever the sisters go, [people] say 'are you the chainsaw nun?'"

There was even a tip of the hat to the "chainsaw nun" during this year's Emmy Awards while a country singer has written a song about her.

If Sister Margaret Ann was permitted to drink beer she might be even more excited about Due South Brewing Co.'s Nun With a Chainsaw, which she also inspired.

"We use Amarillo, Azacca, and Idaho 7 hops throughout the creation of this beer, including the whirlpool and copious dry-hopping," explained Due South's Doug Fairall, who said that the company canned 67 cases of Nun With a Chainsaw.

"With tropical aromas like mango and tangerine, and flavors that cascade from juicy to piney and cedar-like, this India pale ale is a showcase for all of the things that we enjoy about our hoppy beers," he said.

The owner of the South Florida brewing company chose the name after watching the video.

"We got power back and were able to return to brewing, the story of the nun in Miami chopping down trees resonated with us," Fairall added. "We had all just got done trimming fallen trees and mending fences."

The sister is flattered that the company would be inspired to name a beer after her but said it is not likley she will ever get to try it.

Perhaps more satisfying for her was being honored at the recent home opener of the Florida Panthers.

"That was a lot of fun," she said, adding that the Panthers gave her 70 tickets to hand out to friends of the high school. "It was exciting for everyone to see it on the big screen — you know the scoreboard. So that was a lot of fun and they gave me a toy chainsaw signed by all of the Panthers."

She said that two people who watched the video also donated chainsaws to the school. One was sent all the way from Canada and the other from Arizona.

People who live in the Miami area can get a chance to see Sister Margaret reprise her chainsaw performance on Saturday Oct. 28, but there's a catch.

You have to help her clear the remaining debris from Hurricane Irma.

"Just show up and bring a pair of garden gloves," the sister said. The school is located at 10300 SW 167th Avenue in Miami. The chainsaw will be in action from 9 a.m. to noon.

Having served as a nun for the past 28 years, Sister Margaret Ann confided that she is not accustomed to so much attention.

"The sisters sing. They have concerts and I’m usually the one who parks the cars or washes the dishes," she said with a chuckle.

The Florida-based Due South Brewing Co. said its Nun With a Chainsaw beer was inspired by Sister Margaret Ann's story. Photo courtesy Due South Brewing Co. in Boynton Beach.