rich, joyful and generous common life is essential to us, for, in the words of our Founder, “a call to the Sisters of Life is a call to holiness through community.” Community life is the first place where Sisters live the charism of reverence for every human life.

Gaudium et Spes, a document of the Second Vatican Council, states that a person “can fully discover his true self only in a sincere giving of himself.” (22) For us, this sincere giving of self is for the common good, in community, and it allows the full development of each unique personality. Like a precious jewel that, when turned in different directions under the light of the sun, seems to take on new hues and strikingly different shades of beauty, so, too, each Sister, uniquely made in the image of God, gives a different gift, a new shade of beauty, when seen in the light of the Son.

Sisters of Life are deeply invested in the renewal of Christian family life, for the family is the sanctuary of human life. By living community life well, we hope to offer a witness to the real possibility of communion between people, and the joy that it brings, even when at the cost of personal sacrifice. With that in mind, Sisters take turns shopping and cooking, share a common table, recreate together and dedicate themselves to a common apostolate.

Because we don’t watch television or use the internet in the convent, Sisters are able to spend recreation time with each other and are often spotted en masse on the walking, rollerblading and bike paths near our convents (quite a scene!).

Above all, though, our common life is a pledge of mutual prayer and encouragement as we walk together on this pilgrimage of faith.