When Sister Bernadette took to the stage in her habit at the Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic School’s 30th Anniversary Gala, she looked as though she might be preparing to sing an old traditional hymn. It certainly seemed to be heading that way when the piano started to play a slow and somber piece. All of a sudden, things turned on their head when the entire band kicked in to a rock beat. Sister Bernadette then took everyone by surprise by singing ‘Rock and Roll Music’ by Bob Seger.

Music Man fans will adore how Sister Bernadette threw herself into the performance, dancing along to the beat and even adding some grit to her voice that felt a world away from the usual angelic vocals heard during a church congregation. Viewers online were amazed by her performance, with many Catholics taking to the comments to show their support. One even commented, “As a Roman Catholic, I just have to say, ‘Oh Mother, she is superior.’” The video has pulled in over 100k views in just two weeks.

I thought it was wonderful to see how much fun everyone was having onstage. While Sister Bernadette certainly stole the spotlight, the band appeared to be having a wonderful time supporting her. The fiddle and guitar players especially stood out to me, and I was charmed to see Sister Bernadette turn and listen to them play, a massive smile on her face when it came time for their solos. It just proves how music can bring people together in the most unexpected ways.

Music Man fans may be reminded of a certain other singing nun who was mentioned in the comments of the video multiple times: Deloris Van Cartier. Most famously played by Whoopi Goldberg in the 1992 film ‘Sister Act,’ it is clear that Sister Bernadette is in excellent company. Seeing Whoopi reunite with the cast to sing ‘Oh Happy Day’ from Sister Act 2, it is easy to see the same energy and enthusiasm Sister Bernadette brought to her performance. No wonder so many viewers spotted the similarity.

Videos like this are perfect for reminding us not to judge a book by its cover. It may be easy for many to think of nuns as serious and traditional, but Sister Bernadette reminded us that this is certainly not always the case. The joy she found in her performance brought joy to listeners across the world and showed us that our first impressions of people may not always be entirely true. This is one joyful surprise that won’t be forgotten any time soon.