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Toledo bishop’s letter on gender ideology ‘timely’ and ‘loving,’ Mary Rice Hasson says
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Toledo bishop’s letter on gender ideology ‘timely’ and ‘loving,’ Mary Rice Hasson says

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Ethics and Public Policy Center scholar Mary Rice Hasson praised the Bishop of Toledo's recent pastoral letter, titled "The Body Reveals the Person: A Catholic Response to the Challenges of Gender Ideology." / Credit: "EWTN News Nightly"/Screenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 18, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

Toledo, Ohio, Bishop Daniel Thomas’ recently released pastoral letter offering guidance on sex and gender identity issues received praise from the head of the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s (EPPC) Person and Identity Project, Mary Rice Hasson.

“[Thomas] really hones in so beautifully in this document on the truth that we are body and soul, and that our bodies reveal something wonderful about who we are,” Rice told “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Veronica Dudo on Sept. 17. “And so, rejecting the body, which is really what’s going on in the transgender issue, it’s sex rejection, rejection of yourself, is really turning back on yourself and hating and destroying something that is really, really good.” 

Thomas’ letter, “The Body Reveals the Person: A Catholic Response to the Challenges of Gender Ideology,” is the longest statement by a U.S. bishop dealing exclusively with gender ideology.

Drawing on Scripture, theology, philosophy, and social sciences, the letter presents Church teaching in a form the bishop said he hopes is “readable, digestible, accessible, and charitable.”“I think it’s tremendously important that we have a bishop speaking out and giving such timely, but really comprehensive, loving, and hopeful guidance,” Rice said, noting the letter comes in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. 

Kirk was shot while answering a question about transgenderism and gun violence. Tyler Robinson, the man charged with murdering Kirk, has been romantically linked to his transgender roommate, Lance Twiggs, a biological male.

Kirk had said he supported an effort to ban transgender people from owning firearms in light of the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minnesota last month, which was also carried out by a man who identified as transgender.

EPPC scholar calls on more bishops to emulate Thomas

While some dioceses have offered “terrific responses” to the transgender issue, Rice acknowledged, “there are some dioceses where there’s nothing, there’s not even a statement about how people should understand this issue [and] what the Church’s teaching is.” 

“I encourage bishops, if they have not written and spoken to this issue to please do that,” she continued. “People want to hear that. And that’s what I hear from people when I travel all over the U.S. talking about this issue.” 

Rice pointed out that while social media can be used well to form connections with other people, “it really has become a channel of evil in many respects,” especially regarding sexual orientation and gender identity issues. 

“Our youth are particularly vulnerable because they’re young,” she said. “They don’t have the prudence, the discretion, to be able to judge what’s the truth of what’s coming at them. They’re very subject to manipulation and peer pressure.”

Rice further encouraged parents to be vigilant in monitoring social media usage among their children. 

“We have to speak the truth, and we have to be really clear that this is evil,” Rice said of transgenderism. “There are wonderful holistic ways to deal with difficult feelings,” she said, adding: “God loves everyone so much, and he wants something better than what is on offer right now from the culture on this issue.”

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Homilies across U.S. take stock of Charlie Kirk assassination
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Homilies across U.S. take stock of Charlie Kirk assassination

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Priests throughout the country have mentioned assassinated conservative Christian activisit Charlie Kirk in their homilies this week. / Credit: ChoeWatt/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 16, 2025 / 18:24 pm (CNA).

Catholic priests around the country have discussed the assassination of Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk during their homilies in the last week.

Kirk, 31, was shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. The alleged shooter has since been apprehended and identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika, and their two young children.

“So many times it seems almost surreal how the Gospel passage for the day fits … a situation that we face as Christians in our daily lives,” Father Chris Alar at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, said during his homily on Sept. 11, referencing the day’s reading from the Gospel of Luke, when Jesus instructs his disciples to love their enemies.

“That is what Charlie Kirk did. I was watching some of his videos last night, and he was saying of murderers that they are still children of God, and he prayed for them,” the priest reflected, noting that though Kirk was political, he had not been a politician.

“When one side realizes they can’t defeat the truth, they turn to violence,” he said, citing the emperor Herod, who he said “realized that he couldn’t defeat the truth, so he turned to violence.”

Father John Hollowell at All Saints Parish in Indianapolis also reflected during his homily on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that he had felt “a great welling up in my heart” to join the military in the aftermath of the tragic event 24 years ago. Ultimately, he said, “I felt God telling me that the way that I was supposed to respond to the tragedy that I was seeing unfolding 24 years ago today was to become a diocesan priest.” 

“Throughout the last 12 hours,” he said, “some of your young adult children and young adult family and friends are having that same urge to join the military, to join the police.”

He continued: “We need to just take a minute to just calmly ask ourselves: ‘Lord, what do you want me to do with my life? How can I lay down my life more perfectly for other people, for my country, for my community, for my parish?’ And God will let you know.” 

“On Sept. 11, my prayers are with Charlie Kirk’s wife, with his children, but also in this tragic time in the United States of America,” said Father Jonathan Meyer, also of All Saints Parish. “My prayers are also with the family of the refugee from Charlotte, the families in Minnesota that … grieve and mourn, but also for those 24 years ago who, due to acts of hate, still don’t have their grandparents, their parents, their sons.”

“Just this week we were reminded once again of how fallen our world is with the murder of Charlie Kirk,” said Father Eric Ayers of St. Bede Catholic Church in Williamsburg, Virginia, during his Sunday homily. “He was the most recent in a long line in the last number of years of attempts at assassinations … [and] other acts of violence that occur in the political spheres.”

“These acts of violence of course are unconscionable and are a horrible tragedy for our nation,” he added. 

The priest stated “before we blame one side or another, we need to remember that those actions don’t represent the vast majority of people for whom politics is important.” 

Noting that “language over politics has gotten more extreme, more polarizing, more divisive,” Ayers concluded his reflections by advocating for self-sacrifice and the abandonment of “ego” as ways to foster civility in political discourse in the U.S. 

In churches where Kirk’s death was not mentioned in the priest’s homily, prayers were offered for the repose of his soul, including on Sunday Mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C, and at St. Joseph’s on Capitol Hill.

Father John Evans of the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City told a local news outlet that people began gathering at the cathedral in the wake of Kirk’s assassination, with many coming to the church before Sunday Mass, “praying privately, some in groups, praying the rosary, and different prayers of different sorts.”

Several users on social media noted their priests offered homilies about Kirk’s death, with one account on X writing: “Today at my Catholic Mass the homily was about Charlie Kirk, what he stood for … It was about walking in Jesus’ shoes and bearing our cross.”

Another user reported that the homily at his parish centered on Kirk and said his church prayed a rosary for the late TPUSA founder after Mass. 

Catholic social media influencer Sachin Jose also noted the church where he attended Mass in New York “remembered Charlie Kirk in the priest’s homily.”

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Parents of Annunciation shooting victim say daughter’s progress is a ‘miracle’
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Parents of Annunciation shooting victim say daughter’s progress is a ‘miracle’

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Flowers are seen on Sept. 3, 2025, outside the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, where a shooter killed two children and injured 21 other people on Aug. 27, 2025. / Credit: Alex Wroblewski/Getty

CNA Staff, Sep 16, 2025 / 16:14 pm (CNA).

Less than three weeks after the Annunciation Catholic School shooting in Minnesota that killed two children and injured 21 during Mass, the parents of a 12-year-old girl who was shot in the head say her progress has been “miraculous.”

When Sophia Forchas arrived at the hospital with a critical gunshot wound in her head, the doctors warned her parents that her life was in the balance.

“Doctors warned us she was on the brink of death,” Forchas’ parents, Tom and Amy Forchas, said in a statement. “In that darkest hour, the world responded with faithful devotion and fervent prayer.” 

As news of the shooting spread, people around the world offered prayers for the victims and the community in prayer services, online, and in the quiet of their own homes.

In the early days after the shooting, Forchas’ condition “was changing minute to minute,” according to a Sept. 5 update from her parents. 

A GoFundMe page organized by Michelle Erickson on the Forchas’ behalf has raised more than $1 million for Sophia’s recovery and to support her family with counseling services. 

Sophia’s younger brother was also inside the school during the shooting, according to Erickson. Sophia’s mother, a pediatric critical care nurse, “arrived at work to help during the tragedy, before knowing it was her children’s school that was attacked and that her daughter was critically injured,” according to the GoFundMe page.

Sophia’s parents asked the world for prayers — and the world responded. The Forchases say they have heard from people from Athens to Minneapolis who are praying for their daughter. 

In the wake of the tragedy, the Forchas family said that “rays of hope emerged” last week. 

Sophia’s doctor said she “was showing signs of resilience,” the family said. “Her progress to this point is being called miraculous. We are calling it a miracle.”  

“We thank you for all the prayers, love, and unwavering support from across the globe,” the Forchas family said. “The road ahead for Sophia is steep, but she is climbing it with fierce determination.” 

“She is fighting not just for herself, but for every soul who stood by her in prayer,” they continued. “Please continue to keep Sophia in your hearts and prayers. She is a warrior! And she is winning!!”

‘Shattered and heartbroken, but not lost’

This week, hundreds gathered to support the family of 10-year-old Harper Moyski, one of the two children killed in the shooting. Fletcher Merkel, 8, also died in the attack. Twenty-one other people, mostly children, were also injured.

Mike Moyski and Jackie Flavin, Harper’s parents, called her a “light” in their remarks at a celebration of life on Sept. 14 at Lake Harriet Bandshell in Minneapolis. 

“She taught us something profound, that light doesn’t always mean being strong on your own,” Flavin said, according to a report by CBS News. “Sometimes it really means being soft enough to let love in.”

“Harper didn’t do anything halfway. She was extra in the very best way,” Flavin said. “She just packed so much joy and imagination into her short 10 years, and thank God. Thank God she made it all count.” 

Harper’s mother said the last few weeks “have felt like being dropped at the bottom of the ocean, where it is pitch dark, and the pressure is crushing and no human is really meant to survive it.” 

But in the midst of their suffering, Harper’s parents said they feel grateful for the support. 

“There’s just so much love and support lighting our path that we haven’t felt lost,” Flavin said. “Shattered and heartbroken, but not lost.”

“You’ve lifted us up during the hardest days of our lives, and we are so grateful,” Moyski said.

Aftermath of a tragedy 

Annunciation Catholic School students are returning to school with a modified schedule this week, according to an announcement by the school’s leaders. The school will have supportive activities as well as extra security and support staff. 

The church where the shooting took place will have to be reconsecrated, according to the archdiocese. 

Reconsecration is a Catholic ritual used to purify a sacred space after it has been desecrated. 

Father Matthew Crane, a canon lawyer in Minnesota, explained that as part of the rite, “the sanctuary is stripped in a manner consistent with Good Friday.” 

“After the procession, much like the rite for initially dedicating a church, the celebrant, usually a diocesan bishop, blesses holy water and then sprinkles the people and walls with it,” Crane said. “Penitential prayers are offered, and the altar is only dressed with cloth and candles after these rituals have concluded.” 

Crane said the “spiritual effects” include “purification and reparation.” 

Crane, who has attended a reconsecration in the past, said he “was surprised at how, by virtue of participating in that ritual, I felt connected to and comfortable in the building and place.” 

“I would hope that in Annunciation, or any Catholic community, the ritual of reconsecration would grant the community a profound sense of being once again at home in a house of God,” he said.

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Politicians, faith leaders condemn political violence after Charlie Kirk assassination
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Politicians, faith leaders condemn political violence after Charlie Kirk assassination

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A makeshift memorial is seen at Timpanogos Regional Hospital in honor of political activist Charlie Kirk on Sept. 11, 2025, in Orem, Utah. / Credit: George Frey/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 11, 2025 / 13:04 pm (CNA).

Faith leaders and political leaders are uniting their voices to condemn politically motivated violence following the assassination of Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk.

Following the confirmation of Kirk’s death by President Donald Trump, some hours after the TPUSA founder was shot at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 10, countless faith and political leaders began to speak out against the scourge of political violence.

In a statement, Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, railed against the “vicious pattern of political and social disorder” of the past several weeks, citing the Annunciation Catholic school shooting, the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, “and now the political assassination of Charlie Kirk, known for his commitment to civil and rational discourse.” 

“What we see unfolding in our nation is a vicious pattern of hatreds rooted in the rejection of God, of the dignity of the human person, and the sanctity of the family,” the bishop observed.

“We are living through a perilous moment,” Burbridge continued. “Our challenge is not only one of partisan disagreement, law, and policy, but in a deeper way our challenge is to uphold the central goods of American political life: of faith, of families, and of a national commitment to live together in harmony as brothers and sisters.”

Kirk’s assasination hit Bishop Barron particularly hard

“I am devastated by the news of Charlie Kirk’s death,” Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron said after news of Kirk’s death was confirmed by President Donald Trump. 

Barron went on to reveal that Kirk had been scheduled to appear on his show, “Bishop Barron Presents,” in 10 days. The founder of Word on Fire called Kirk “a great debater and also one of the best advocates in our country for civil discourse, but he was, first and last, a passionate Christian,” recalling that when they first met four years ago, “we didn’t talk much about politics. We talked about theology, in which he had a deep interest, and about Christ. I know I’m joining millions of people around the world in praying that he rests now in the peace of the Lord.”

Moral theologian on root of problem

“You have to be willfully blind not to see that the root of the problem is political hatred, and that that hatred is no more obvious than in those who cannot restrain themselves from badmouthing a man even when he lay dying,” said Edward Feser, a Catholic philosopher and professor at Pasadena City College.

In a joint post showcasing their shared perspective across ideological divides, Princeton legal scholar Robert George and Harvard theology and philosophy professor Cornel West said: “For our nation, this is a moment for deep healing and for bearing witness to the precious humanity of all our brothers and sisters — those with whom we agree and those with whom we disagree.” The pair had appeared together on Kirk’s show recently.

Meanwhile, CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt said the tragic shooting “was not merely an assault on one man: It was an assault on the principles of free dialogue, civic order, and human dignity.” 

“As Catholics, we affirm with unwavering conviction that every human life is sacred,” Reinhardt continued, offering prayers for the repose of Kirk’s soul. “I call upon every leader, regardless of party or persuasion, to condemn this murder unequivocally. To remain silent in the face of such evil is to be complicit in its advance. Let this tragedy awaken America to the urgent need to recover respect for life, civility in discourse, and courage in the pursuit of truth.”

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts also weighed in, writing: “What a horrific day in American history.” 

“To Charlie’s family, friends, and @TPUSA colleagues: We must never, never, never, never, never, never stop fighting to build the America that he helped make possible,” Roberts added. 

Netanyahu: Kirk ‘stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined world leaders in condemning Kirk’s assasination, writing: “Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization.” 

Netanyahu revealed he had spoken to Kirk “only two weeks ago” and had invited the late TPUSA founder to visit Israel.

“Sadly, that visit will not take place,” the prime minister said. “We lost an incredible human being. His boundless pride in America and his valiant belief in free speech will leave a lasting impact.” 

In another tribute, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who hosted Kirk as the first guest on his new podcast, said: “His senseless murder is a reminder of how important it is for all of us, across the political spectrum, to foster genuine discourse on issues that deeply affect us all without resorting to political violence.” 

“The best way to honor Charlie’s memory is to continue his work: Engage with each other, across ideology, through spirited discourse,” he continued. “In a democracy, ideas are tested through words and good-faith debate — never through violence.”

Newsom added: “Honest disagreement makes us stronger; violence only drives us further apart and corrodes the values at the heart of this nation.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden both took to social media as well, with Biden writing in a post: “There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now. Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones.” 

“I am deeply disturbed by the shooting in Utah. Doug and I send our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family,” Harris wrote, adding: “Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”

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CNA Explains: Everything you should know about relics
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CNA Explains: Everything you should know about relics

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Relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis on display. / Credit: Courtesy of Milagro Eucarístico Perú – 1649

CNA Staff, Sep 4, 2025 / 05:17 am (CNA).

From the finger of St. Thomas, to the arm of St. Jude, to the miraculous blood of St. Januarius and the Shroud of Turin, the Catholic Church is home to a plethora of relics. To an outsider, the tradition of venerating relics may seem strange; however, the roots of the practice are found in Scripture as well as in the ancient tradition of the Church.

Below are 10 of the most asked questions pertaining to relics and their veneration:

What is a relic?

A relic is a physical object that had a direct association with a saint or with Jesus Christ. The word “relic” derives from the Latin word “relinquere,” which means “to abandon or leave behind.”

What are the different classes of relics?

Traditionally, relics can be broken down into three classes: first, second, and third. 

First class relics are the body or fragments of the body of a saint, such as pieces of bone or flesh. An example of a first class relic would be the skull of St. Thomas Aquinas or the bone of St. Jude Thaddeus. Pieces of the cross on which Jesus was crucified are also considered first class relics. 

A second class relic is an item that a saint touched or owned, such as a shirt or book, or fragments of these items.

Third class relics are items that a saint has touched or items that have been touched to a first, second, or another third class relic. For example, touching the first class relic of St. Bernadette Soubirous’ bones with your own personal rosary would make your rosary a third class relic.

Additionally, a 2017 decree on relics identified the difference between “significant” and “non-significant” relics.

The decree defines a significant relic as “the body of the Blesseds and of the Saints or notable parts of the bodies themselves or the sum total of the ashes obtained by their cremation.” 

These relics are preserved in properly sealed urns and are to be kept in places that guarantee their safety and respect their sacredness. 

“Little fragments of the body of the Blesseds and of the Saints as well as objects that have come in direct contact with their person are considered non-significant relics,” the decree states. 

These are also preserved in sealed cases “and honored with a religious spirit, avoiding every type of superstition and illicit trade.”

How are relics authenticated?

The process of authenticating a first or second class relic begins with the certification from a bishop or cardinal. In many cases the relics belong to the diocese to which the saint belonged. 

Then, especially for first class relics, the item must be scientifically proven to be human remains, along with other criteria. This is done to ensure that fake relics are not being venerated by the faithful. 

There is no process for formally recognizing third class relics. 

Why do Catholics venerate relics?

Catholics venerate the relics of saints as a way to honor the saint’s inspiring way of life and bold faith. As Catholics, we strive to become saints ourselves and are encouraged to imitate the lives of the saints in our own daily lives.

St. Jerome, a great biblical scholar, said, “We do not worship relics, we do not adore them, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the creator. But we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore him whose martyrs they are.” (Ad Riparium, i, P.L., XXII, 907).

The veneration of relics is a Catholic practice of honoring the extraordinary work God did in a person’s life – a person who has achieved the highest level of holiness in the Catholic Church.

The major relic of St. Jean de Brebeuf, his skull, flanked by major relics of St. Gabriel Lalemant (left) and St. Charles Garnier (right), both bone fragments. Credit: The Shrine of the Canadian Martyrs Photos
The major relic of St. Jean de Brebeuf, his skull, flanked by major relics of St. Gabriel Lalemant (left) and St. Charles Garnier (right), both bone fragments. Credit: The Shrine of the Canadian Martyrs Photos

Is relic veneration biblical?

Yes. There are several instances in the Bible where individuals are healed by touching an item. 

In 2 Kings 13:20-21, the corpse of a man is touched to the bones of the prophet Elisha and the man comes back to life. In Matthew 9:20-22, the hemorrhaging woman is healed by touching the hem of Jesus’ cloak. People were healed and evil spirits were driven out when handkerchiefs from the apostle Paul were placed on these individuals as is written in Acts of the Apostles 19:11-12. 

Can relics perform miracles?

It is important to understand that while relics may be used in many miracles that are mentioned, the Catholic Church does not believe that the relic itself causes the miracle, but God alone. The relic is the vehicle through which God may work, but God is the cause for the healing. 

Any good that comes about through a relic is God’s doing. But the fact that God chooses to use the relics of saints to work healing and miracles tells us that He wants to draw our attention to the saints as “models and intercessors” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 828).

Is it okay to own a relic?

Ideally a relic should be kept in a church or shrine where they can be made available for public veneration. However, the Church does not forbid the possession of relics by lay persons. They may even be kept in homes. Additionally, the Church no longer issues relics to individuals — not even clergy. The Church will only issue relics to churches, shrines, and oratories. 

Can I buy or sell relics?

According to canon law of the Catholic Church, the sale of first- and second-class relics is strictly forbidden. Relics can only be given away by their owners, and some very significant relics, such as a heart, arm, etc., cannot be given away without the permission of the Vatican.

Where can I see or venerate relics?

Relics are housed all over the world in different churches and shrines. For example, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Notre Dame, Indiana, is home to an estimated 1,200 relics. In Venice, Italy, St. Mark’s Basilica houses the relics of St. Mark the Evangelist. Catholics can venerate relics of the True Cross at the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem in Rome, Italy. 

Relics will also go on tour to churches across cities throughout the world in order for the faithful to have an opportunity to venerate them.

Are there relics of Jesus or Mary?

There are no first class relics of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Catholic Church teaches that Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven. However, the most well-known second class relic that is believed to have been Mary’s is her veil, which is kept in Chartres Cathedral in France.

The case is similar for Jesus. While there are no bodily relics of Christ, who rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, there are fragments of the True Cross, a fragment of the holy manger in which Jesus was placed after he was born, and fragments of black and white stone that are said to be from the pillar on which he was scourged. 

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Sisters of Life launch new website offering pro-life support, resources for women
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Sisters of Life launch new website offering pro-life support, resources for women

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null / Credit: David Gyung/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Aug 31, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The Sisters of Life have launched a new website providing resources and support for women considering an abortion, women seeking healing after having an abortion, and women whose children have an adverse prenatal diagnosis.

Vis Center is named after the Latin word “vis,” which means “force” or “power.” “As women, we know that real power is unleashed when you feel listened to,” the website states.

The website includes several testimonial videos of women sharing their personal stories about finding themselves in unplanned pregnancies and the joy they found in deciding to choose life, as well as women sharing their stories of finding healing after undergoing an abortion.

“As Sisters of Life, we care about you, the whole you — body, mind, and soul. That’s why we offer a holistic approach to pregnancy, because we know that before being a medical issue, it’s a spiritual issue — it’s an issue of the heart,” the website reads. 

“We believe that a woman should be empowered to move in freedom, not in fear, and that’s why we stand in solidarity with every woman who is pregnant.”

Sister Virginia Joy, SV, told CNA that while they’ve had a website for many years, “it needed to be updated” as the sisters “are always trying to reach women in crisis with a loving response and practical assistance.” 

Sister Virginia Joy explained that walking with women who find themselves in unplanned pregnancies or are in need of healing after undergoing an abortion is crucial because “God entrusts us to one another.”

“To walk with these women, to listen to them, to love them and assist them in whatever way we can, whether it be through prayer or more active service, is the only appropriate response,” she added.

“We desire this website to bring hope into a situation where so many women feel alone and tempted to despair,” Sister Virginia Joy said. “We have had pregnant women in difficult circumstances say that when they read our brochure or looked at our website they felt hope for the first time in their pregnancy.”

“One woman captured it well when she said, ‘Everyone has been for abortion, no one has been for me,’” she recalled. 

“We desire to be for them. It is a tremendous privilege to walk with these women, to listen to them, and to love them.”

The Sisters of Life was founded in 1991 by Cardinal John O’Connor in New York. It received formal approval as a religious institute in 2004. In addition to taking vows of chastity, obedience, and poverty, the Sisters of Life take a fourth vow — to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life.

The sisters currently serve in the dioceses and archdioceses of New York; Denver; Albany, New York; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Washington, D.C.; and Toronto.potpoal

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Picture of the day This painting on the ceiling in Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, a church on Via Veneto in Rome, depicts the Virgin Mary being assumed body and soul into heaven. Today is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary in much of Western Christianity or the Dormition of the Mother of God in Eastern Christianity. #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day This painting on the ceiling in Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, a church on Via Veneto in Rome, depicts the Virgin Mary being assumed body and soul into heaven. Today is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary in much of Western Christianity or the Dormition of the Mother of God in Eastern Christianity. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
This painting on the ceiling in Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, a church on Via Veneto in Rome, depicts the Virgin Mary being assumed body and soul into heaven. Today is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary in much of Western Christianity or the Dormition of the Mother of God in Eastern Christianity.
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