Six Sisters of Life Profess Final Vows

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Six Sisters of Life professed final vows at a Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop John J. O’Hara on Aug. 6, the feast of the Transfiguration, at the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist in Stamford, Conn. 

A luncheon followed at Villa Maria Guadalupe, the congregation’s retreat house in Stamford.

The sisters are:

Sister Grace Dominic, S.V., 36, was raised in Silver Spring, Md. She earned a master’s degree in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, and a bachelor’s in communications from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Before entering the Sisters of Life in 2008, Sister Grace Dominic worked as a journalist. She serves as the vocations director for the community, guiding young women discerning a call to religious life as a Sister of Life. The daughter of Henry and Dominica Gomes, she has an older brother.

Sister Maria Emmanuel, S.V., 33, was born in Poland, emigrated with her family to Rome, Italy, when she was 5 years old, and then to Canada when she was 6. She was raised in Sudbury and North Bay, Ontario. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Queen’s University. Before entering the Sisters of Life in 2004, Sister Maria Emmanuel studied voice and sang opera while attending the university. She serves at the Visitation Mission in Manhattan, accompanying young women whose pregnancies have created a crisis in their lives, seeking to bring them the spiritual, emotional and temporal support they need to choose life for themselves and their children. The daughter of Tomasz and Regina Milczarek, she is the oldest of seven children.

Sister Brigid Ancilla Marie, S.V., 33, was raised in Lyndhurst, Ohio. She earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis. Before entering the Sisters of Life in 2006, Sister Brigid Ancilla Marie studied for a master’s degree in public health at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and worked in the emergency room at George Washington University Hospital. She serves in the Visitation Mission in Manhattan. The daughter of John and Barbara Heisler, she is the second of five children.

Sister Maria Laetitia, S.V., 33, was raised in Chino Hills, Calif. She earned a master’s degree in education/teaching credential from the University of La Verne in California, and a bachelor’s in history from San Diego State University. Before entering the Sisters of Life in 2008, Sister Maria Laetitia was teaching sixth grade. She serves at Sacred Heart of Jesus Convent in Manhattan, Holy Respite, where pregnant women, vulnerable to abortion, live side-by-side with Sisters of Life, who provide them a restful home where they can get their feet on the ground and grow in their identity as women and mothers. The daughter of Sergio and Gloria Medina, she is the oldest of three children.

Sister Ann Catherine, S.V., 32, was raised in Annandale, Va. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. Before entering the Sisters of Life in 2008, Sister Ann Catherine worked in accounting for GeoLogics. She serves in the generalate at Annunciation Motherhouse in Montebello. The daughter of Henry and Margaret Koner, she is the third of four children.

Sister Maeve Nativitas, S.V., 29, was raised in Reston, Va. She earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Before entering the Sisters of Life in 2008, Sister Maeve Nativitas participated in several missionary activities while studying at the university. She serves in the Visitation Mission in Manhattan. The daughter of Thomas and Laurie O’Doherty, she is the third of four children.