Sisters of Life
Encyclopedia
Sisters of Life is a female Roman Catholic religious order
, following the Augustinian rule, that was founded in 1991 by John Cardinal
O'Connor, Archbishop of New York, after much prayer and a visit to the remains of the Dachau concentration camp. It is both a contemplative and active religious community. Besides taking the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the sisters take a fourth vow to "protect and enhance the sacredness of human life." The sisters live in community, centering their lives on the Eucharist
. They have five convents in New York and a retreat house in Connecticut. Their work includes a pregnancy help Visitation Mission, a Holy Respite for pregnant women, the Stanton Library with pro-life resources, the Family Life/Respect Life office in the Archdiocese of New York, and retreat opportunities for youth, married couples, families, and Entering Canaan retreats for men and women suffering after abortion. The abbreviation S.V. stands for Sorores Vitae, Latin for Sisters of Life.
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
, following the Augustinian rule, that was founded in 1991 by John Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
O'Connor, Archbishop of New York, after much prayer and a visit to the remains of the Dachau concentration camp. It is both a contemplative and active religious community. Besides taking the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the sisters take a fourth vow to "protect and enhance the sacredness of human life." The sisters live in community, centering their lives on the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. They have five convents in New York and a retreat house in Connecticut. Their work includes a pregnancy help Visitation Mission, a Holy Respite for pregnant women, the Stanton Library with pro-life resources, the Family Life/Respect Life office in the Archdiocese of New York, and retreat opportunities for youth, married couples, families, and Entering Canaan retreats for men and women suffering after abortion. The abbreviation S.V. stands for Sorores Vitae, Latin for Sisters of Life.