(Oregon Right to Life) — The Sisters of Life, a Catholic religious order dedicated to promoting the inherent dignity and value of every innocent human life, launched a new online resource to provide “free, safe, and compassionate support” to women facing unsupported pregnancies.
Through the new website, called Vis Center (“vis” means “force” or “power” in Latin), the Sisters of Life offer “free, confidential, and compassionate spiritual and emotional accompaniment, practical pregnancy support, a network of resources, and opportunities for healing.”
“We believe in you,” the Catholic religious sisters tell women on the site. “[W]e 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. 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.”
“No woman should be left alone, used, or coerced,” the sisters tell women. “The opposite of love isn’t hate, but use. Every woman deserves to be listened to, loved, and supported towards full life-flourishing.”
While there are many reasons women report choosing abortion, coercion and sexual abuse are very often behind the decision to abort. According to a recent peer-reviewed study published in the medical journal Cureus, 70% of abortions are “coerced, unwanted or inconsistent with women’s preferences.”
Vis Center includes an FAQ section providing responses to questions like, “I can’t imagine having a child and reaching my dreams. Is it even possible?” as well as a contact page with phone numbers to either text or call, as well as physical addresses in many places across the country for in-person visits.
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The Sisters of Life’s new website is the latest in a series of wide-reaching pro-life initiatives led by the growing religious order.
With mission locations nationwide, the Catholic Sisters of Life provide emotional, spiritual, and tangible resources to help abortion-vulnerable moms choose life. They also provide healing and support for women who have had abortions. The sisters additionally host retreats, give talks, and spread the pro-life message through their digital presence on YouTube and podcast apps.
In addition to providing a safe space for pregnant women to come to receive life-affirming support and resources, the sisters frequently travel to spread the pro-life message.
In February of last year, three members of the Sisters of Life traveled to Oregon for a three-day mission trip.
Sister Ann Immaculée, Sister Israel Rose (the religious order’s first member from Oregon), and Sister Catherine Joy Marie traveled first to the Portland area and then to Eugene. During their stay, they gave talks, led prayers, and engaged in one-on-one conversations with Oregon’s pro-life advocates. They also led a large, peaceful crowd in praying outside Portland’s notorious downtown abortion facility, “Lilith Clinic.”
READ: ‘We Are So Encouraged By You:’ Sisters of Life Visit and Pray with Pro-Life Oregonians
“We would just want to tell pro-lifers ‘thank you,’” Sister Ann Immaculée, SV, told Oregon Right to Life after her talk at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Lake Oswego. “We are so moved – truly – by the authenticity and willingness to stand in the fight.”
“We’re so encouraged by you standing as lights in the darkness,” she said, adding that, even in a place like Oregon where abortion is legal up until the moment of birth, “there’s always hope.”
She urged pro-life people “to never doubt that Jesus Christ is fighting this battle in you, and with you, and for you, and has a plan for Oregon. He has a plan for victory.”
Today, over 100 sisters comprise the Sisters of Life order, which has become one of the most visible and well-known religious orders in the Catholic world today.
Check out the Sisters of Life’s new website here and share it with your community: https://www.viscenter.org/
