STAMFORD—The Sisters of Life, a religious congregation who take a special a fourth vow to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life, and who has a retreat house located in Stamford, is pleased to announce that the following five Sisters will profess their first vows as a Sister of Life on August 4, 2020, at Annunciation Motherhouse in Suffern, NY. Bishop Gerardo Colacicco, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York, is celebrating the Mass of Profession.
Sr. Beata Victoria, 33, graduated from the University of Ottawa in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a minor in Religious Studies; and from the University of King’s College, Halifax in 2011 with a Bachelor of Journalism. Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in September of 2017, she worked in the Archdiocese of Toronto’s Office of Public Relations and Communications for five years. Previously she interned with the Holy See Mission to the United Nations in New York and served for one year as a missionary with Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO) at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is the daughter of Francis and Silvana Loughheed of Ontario, Canada. She has an older brother, Stephen. Throughout her childhood, the Loughheeds worshiped at Queen of the Most Holy Rosary in Belleville, Ontario, Canada.
Sr. Léonie Thérèse, 30, graduated from Lindenwood University of St. Charles, MO, in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education. Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in September of 2017, she taught first grade at Sts. Joachim and Ann Catholic School in St. Charles, MO, for four years. She is the daughter of Jim and Catherine Weis of Florissant, MO, near St. Louis. She is the oldest of four: Elizabeth, Sr. Anne (a Salesian Sister), and Joseph. The Weises are parishioners at St. Ferdinand of Florissant, MO.
Sr. Anima Christi Rose, 29, graduated in 2015 from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor’s in Speech and Hearing Science and minor in Psychology; and a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology. Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in September of 2017, she was a missionary with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), serving two years at Tulane University in New Orleans. She is the daughter of Antony and Rogy Chirayath of Lewisville, TX. She has an older sister, Merlyn. She was raised in the Syro-Malabar rite; and with the permission of the Holy See will profess her religious vows in the Latin rite.
Sr. Maria Augustine, 28, graduated from Adelphi University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 2014 and an MA in Childhood Education and Special Education in 2015. Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in September of 2017, she taught 5th grade at St. Patrick’s School in Smithtown (2015-2016) and 4th grade at Holy Angels Regional School in Patchogue (2016-2017). She is the daughter of Mark and Carol Correa of Smithtown, NY; her siblings are Katherine, Matthew (wife Sarah), and Victoria. The Correas are parishioners at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church of Smithtown, NY.
Sr. Chiara Madonna, 28, graduated in 2015 from Benedictine College with a Bachelor’s degree in Theology and a minor in Business. Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in September of 2017, she served the Church in a number of it ministries and missions: humanitarian relief, marriage and family, women’s health, and religious freedom, in settings as varied as Geneva, Switzerland; Washington, DC; and her home Archdiocese of St. Louis. She is the daughter of Patrick and Carrie Judd of St. Louis, MO. She is the oldest of six: Meghan, Annie, Patricia, Katie and Joe. The Judds are parishioners at St. Clement of Rome in St. Louis, MO.
The following two Sisters will profess their solemn vows as a Sister of Life on the Feast of the Transfiguration, August 6, 2020, at Villa Maria Guadalupe in Stamford, CT. The Mass of Profession will be celebrated by His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan.
Sr. Virginia Joy, 39, graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She is currently the Director of the Respect Life Office for the Archdiocese of New York. As a Sister, she has served in the New York City Visitation Mission, through which she accompanied women whose pregnancies created a crisis in their lives, seeking to bring them the spiritual, emotional, and temporal support they needed to choose life for themselves and their children. She assisted the Sisters of Life Vocations Director from August 2012 until 2015.
Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in 2009, she served as a Residential Counselor at St. Anne’s Maternity Home in Los Angeles; as a Residential Counselor at Trinity Teen Solutions in Wyoming; and as Director of College Counseling at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Greenville, SC.
She is the daughter of Timothy J. and Mary E. Cotter of Greenville, SC. She has two older siblings, Dave Cotter (Bethany) and Ellen Cotter. The Cotters are parishioners at Our Lady of the Rosary; Sr. Virginia Joy was baptized at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, both in upstate South Carolina (Greenville, and Simpsonville).
Sr. Naomi Maria Magnificat, 34, graduated from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland with a BSc in Occupational Therapy in 2007. Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in 2012, she worked in a children’s retail clothing store, and participated in and contributed to the New Evangelization in her home country.
As a Sister of Life, Sr. Naomi has served in the Visitation Mission in New York City, exploring life-giving options and providing resources and practical support to women experiencing unexpected pregnancies or adverse prenatal diagnoses; and in the Holy Respite Mission serving vulnerable human life in the persons of mothers-in-need and their infants, born and unborn, who are guests of the Sisters of Life at Sacred Heart of Jesus Convent.
She is the daughter of Helen Collins and the late Hugh Collins of Abbeyfeale, County Limerick, Ireland. Her siblings are Lorraine (Sean) Woulfe, Kevin, Sr. Fiona Mary of Grace (Ware Carmel, England), Clare (Mike) Hawes, Siobhan, Mark, Sinead (Rory) O’Connor, Louise (Gordan) Noonan, Bernadette, Katie, Eleanor, and Kelly. Her family worships at the Church of the Assumption in Abbeyfeale, County Limerick.
The Mass of Perpetual Profession may be viewed via live streaming on the Sisters of Life website, sistersoflife.org; or through their YouTube channel.
