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Four Sisters of Life professed final religious vows and four professed first vows at a Mass offered Aug. 6 at the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist, Stamford Conn. The celebrant was Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver.
The four sisters who professed their final vows were: Sister John Mary, S.V., Sister Mariam Caritas, S.V., Sister Marita, S.V., and Sister Giovanna Mariae, S.V.
The sisters making their first profession of vows were: Sister Gianna Maria, S.V., Sister Monica Marie Therese, S.V., Sister Maria Regina Immaculata, S.V., and Sister Maria Veritas, S.V.
Final Vows
Sister John Mary, S.V., 37, who was raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, earned degrees in history: a bachelor’s from Queen’s University and a master’s from the University of Western Ontario. She participated in World Youth Day in Toronto, 2002, and interned at the Holy See Mission to the United Nations.
She entered the Sisters of Life in 2005. She worked as secretary to the order’s superior general and in the Visitation Mission in Toronto. Sister John Mary serves at Visitation Mission in Manhattan where she assists women with crisis pregnancies. She has three siblings, including Father Raymond de Souza, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kingston, Ont.
Sister Mariam Caritas, S.V., 36, who grew up in Peoria, Ill., received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Illinois State University. She worked in campus ministry at Bradley University, Peoria, and helped establish the Salve Regina Newman Center at Eureka College, Eureka, Ill. She assisted the director of divine worship for the Diocese of Peoria with liturgy for the cathedral there.
She entered the Sisters of Life in 2005. Sister Mariam Caritas served as assistant to the order’s vocation director for two years. She now assists women with difficult pregnancies at Visitation Mission. She is one of 12 children.
Sister Marita, S.V., 35, who was raised in Ann Arbor, Mich., earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Michigan. She then worked as a nurse in the surgical intensive care unit at the University of Michigan.
She entered the Sisters of Life in 2005. She served at Visitation Mission and is now working with the co-workers of Life Mission. She coordinates the efforts of laypeople in local parishes who provide practical support to pregnant women in need. Next year, Sister Marita will attend the Institute for the Psychological Sciences in Washington, D.C., to earn a degree in psychology. She is the youngest of three children.
Sister Giovanna Mariae, S.V., 30, who grew up in Tallahassee, Fla., graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in art history. While a college student she volunteered at a pregnancy care center.
She entered the Sisters of Life in 2005. She has served as assistant to the director of novices and in mission at Sacred Heart of Jesus Convent, Manhattan. This is a haven for pregnant women and new mothers who need support. Next year, Sister Giovanna Mariae will study theology at the John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C.
First Vows
Sister Gianna Maria, S.V., 26, holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. She spent a year as a pediatric nurse at Nemours DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington Del., before joining the Sisters of Life. Sister Gianna Maria is one of seven children, including her brother, Father John Solomon, a priest of the Diocese of Wilmington.
Sister Monica Marie Therese, S.V., 26, grew up in British Columbia, Canada, and graduated from St. Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia, with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She was a registered nurse working with postsurgical patients before entering the Sisters of Life. Sister Monica Marie Therese is the fourth of seven children.
Sister Maria Regina Immaculata, S.V., 25, was raised in Ann Arbor, Mich. She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Hillsdale, College, Hillsdale, Mich. She was active with the campus Students for Life group and was president of the Catholic Society. She participated in World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, in 2008. Sister Maria Regina Immaculata entered the Sisters of Life after graduation. She has four siblings.
Sister Maria Veritas, S.V., 25, comes from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Alberta. She was active in the campus pro-life group. She also spent a number of summers working at the Edmonton Archdiocese’s summer camp. She entered the Sisters of Life after college graduation. Sister Maria Veritas is one of four children.
