Her first year in the Bronx motherhouse will be spent in further discernment and formation, followed by two more years of formation. She will be permitted two visits home during the first year, and none for the following two.
As a postulant and then a novitiate, Cotter will be integrated into the apostolates of the order, all of which have a strong pro-life flavor.
“We take four vows: poverty, chastity, obedience, and a vow to protect and enhance human life,” she said.
The Sisters of Life community was founded by the late Cardinal John O’Connor, of the Archdiocese of New York, in 1991, after a transformative visit to the former Nazi concentration camp in Dachau. The order manages the archdiocesan Respect Life Office and offers help for pregnant women, especially in their Holy Respite homes. They operate missions, including one in Toronto, the Villa Maria Guadalupe Retreat Center in the Bronx and a library of human life issues. The order also gives retreats for women who have had abortions. They are 64 in number, and are young, active and growing fast, Cotter said. The sisters wear simple navy blue and white habits.
Cotter said her years at St. Joseph’s have been good for her, with the opportunity for daily Mass and what she called “a welcoming Catholic community.” She enjoyed working with teens and has advice for any young men or women who think they may be hearing the small voice of God calling them.
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“I would say you need to be open to what God’s plan is for you. Consider your options, not just assuming automatically that he wants you to marry and have a family. The thing is, nothing bad comes from discernment,” she said.
Cotter recommends a visit to an order, calling it pain-free.
“They are not pushy in the least. They will never come to you, so any decision is absolutely yours. Even if you do not enter an order, you will come away having seen the beauty of religious communities and will have gained more clarity about what God wants for you,” she said.