Sister Mary Agnes discusses path to her vocation and mission of Sisters of Life
Ahead of International Women’s Day, Sister of Life Mother Mary Agnes Donovan discussed finding her calling to religious life and her decades of working with women in need.
Donovan said “it’s uniquely true now” that it can be hard for women of faith to see the God-given gifts in themselves. “If you are a woman of faith, you’re living in a way that’s countering a prevalent culture. So you don’t fit in, and you don’t fit the mold,” she said in an interview with EWTN News’ Colm Flynn, with an excerpt aired on “EWTN News Nightly” and broadcast in full on EWTN’s YouTube channel.
“So it’s very important to have other people around you ratify, and encourage, and identify that ‘You are uniquely gifted in this way and this is a gift that has been given, that you can develop, and give back to the world,’” she said.
To honor her many years of helping women, the GIVEN Institute announced this week Donovan will receive the 2026 GIVEN Fiat Award. GIVEN, a nonprofit organization that helps young women identify their gifts for the Church and the world, will honor her witness to the dignity of women and the gift of life.
To recognize these God-given gifts, Donovan said “other people notice it first, and they’ll tell you.”
Path to religious life
Before joining religious life, Donovan said she had other plans. Growing up in Pennsylvania in the farming country, “I always thought, because of the circumstances, I’d be a farmer’s wife,” she said. “I thought I would have six children.”
Later on, Donovan developed an interest in psychology. “I think I loved people, and that was probably the basis of my own interest in pursuing psychology,” she said. “I think just to understand the human person.”
She went to college for a degree in educational psychology and eventually completed her doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After school, Donovan began teaching at Columbia University in New York.
While at Columbia, “I thought that would be my life forever,” she said. “I had no intention of leaving.” But then everything changed during a retreat at the end of her first year teaching in New York.
“It was an Ignatian retreat where you pray in silence for eight days and basically listen to, and see things, that you don’t see when you’re not silent and you’re not praying,” she said. “I think what happened was that essentially an encounter with the love of God just turned my life upside down.”
It was “a calling to give all of my life to God, and he would decide what that would look like. So in other words, it was a call to love, to give all of my mind, my heart, my soul, the entirety of my life,” she said.
Joining religious life then “seemed obvious to me,” she said. “I told my retreat director that. I said, ‘I’ll be in a convent next year at this time.’” Donovan then entered religious life in 1991, when the Sisters of Life was founded, and became a sister by 1993.
Sisters of Life
While many call her a founder or co-founder of the Sisters of Life, Donovan said: “I’ve never thought of myself that way.” It was Cardinal John O’Connor who “actually received the charismatic grace, that is the foundational grace of our community. I was the first superior, and a long-term superior.”
“I think all of the first 50 sisters are probably foundational sisters. We all contributed to the foundation of mission, to the foundation of our common life, everything about our lives. You do it together in a community,” she said.
More than three decades after the order was founded, the sisters continue their mission in a time it is especially needed, she said.
“We live in an age when most people don’t get up in the morning and feel that their life matters deeply to many. They question the meaning and the purpose of their lives,” she said.
“Our purpose as Sisters of Life is to answer that very ache in the heart of man, which is to say that ‘You are of infinite value, that you came from a Creator who created you with a particular purpose for your life. And only you can fulfill that purpose.’”
The Sisters of Life primarily work with women experiencing unexpected pregnancies and are “deliberating among their options,” she said. “I think that the women that call us are calling us because they want to know everything before they make that decision.”
“They may not be practicing their faith, but they have some life of faith within them. They don’t want to ignore that because everything in their being tells them that this is an important decision,” she said.
“So our job is simply to help them slow down long enough to simply think through with their heart more than their mind: ‘What is before me and what my options are,’” she said. “It’s really a call to listen deeply to the heart of another and to allow her to speak what is within her heart, so that she can hear herself.”
Many women who come to the sisters have already had abortions after they “quickly made a decision,” she said. They are not as quick to do it again because “the experience of abortion is not what it’s described to be. It’s an experience they never want to have again,” she said.
“No woman would ever choose abortion if she had options that were real,” Donovan said. The sisters then “help her find what she needs so that she can reasonably make that decision. Because the decision for abortion is often one that is vaguely coerced by the culture, by withdrawing all the supports that are needed.”
“No one comes to us by force. They only come to us voluntarily. We don’t seek them. They walk through our doors,” she said. “She is coming to us because, in fact, she’s feeling coerced into a decision that she doesn’t like or desire.”
Impact of the sisters’ ministry
After 35 years of ministry, many of the children the Sisters of Life helped bring into the world are now adults. The sisters “stay in touch with many of them and they’re part of our family,” Donovan said.
“They do their confirmation service hours with us” and “they come back and they volunteer,” she said.
“Every Christmas, when we have our Christmas party, you look at all these children that are there … and you stand there and you say: ‘Not one of them would probably be alive. Not one of them,’” Donovan said.
“It’s the most wondrous mission … to receive these women, to usher them through a program of retreat and prayer and gatherings where they explore and understand what has happened in their life. They come to us sometimes weeks and months after the abortion. Sometimes they come decades after,” Donovan said.
“It’s the most wonderful thing … to see these women actually begin to believe in the mercy and the tenderness of the heart of God,” she said.
The Sisters of Life continues its mission, and the number of sisters continues to grow with it. As the number of religious vocations goes down, the order has not experienced a decline with around 145 sisters today.
“God has blessed us with vocations,” Donovan said. But, “we need many more.”
Trump administration repeals gender, sexuality affirmation rules for foster homes
President Donald Trump’s administration eliminated a federal rule that sought to force foster homes to affirm a child’s same-sex attraction and a child’s self-asserted gender identity when that identity is inconsistent with his or her biological sex.
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) formally rescinded the rule on March 6 based on concerns it could force faith-based foster parents and foster homes to violate their religious beliefs.
“This Biden-era rule was an affront to common sense, but most especially, it sent the wrong message to faith-based foster parents and organizations who simply seek to provide a loving home for foster youth,” Alex Adams, ACF assistant secretary, said in a statement.
“We can do better, and we must do better to make sure children in foster care find lovely, nurturing homes,” he said.
The formal elimination of the rule comes nine months after a federal court blocked enforcement, finding it exceeded the statutory authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACF is a division of HHS.
On March 3, ACF also sent letters to all 50 states explaining that children may not be removed from foster homes solely because the foster parents do not affirm a child identifying as a gender inconsistent with the child’s sex.
“Parents have the right to raise their children according to their sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions,” Adams said in a statement. “When states overstep their bounds, ACF will take action to deter inappropriate policies that drive unnecessary interactions with child welfare systems. This is one such example.”
These moves are part of Trump’s broader efforts to combat what he calls “gender ideology extremism.” In an executive order, Trump established an official policy to affirm “the biological reality of sex” and recognized that the terms “man” and “woman” refer to biological distinctions rather than self-identification.
U.S. bishops to advocate ‘just immigration policies’ with Homeland Security successor
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will advocate for “just immigration policies” with the successor to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
President Donald Trump said Noem would become special envoy for a security initiative called “The Shield of the Americas” the day after a tense hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 4. Trump said he will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, to replace her. The position requires Senate confirmation, a process requiring a simple majority (51 votes) for approval.
Following the announcement, USCCB Committee on Migration Chair Bishop Brendan J. Cahill said in a statement to EWTN News that the bishops will advocate for just immigration policies with Noem’s successor, focused on the dignity of the human person.
“Without commenting on the qualifications of any specific individual, my brother bishops and I remain committed to dialoguing with all leaders in every administration, as well as Congress, in support of just immigration policies that recognize the God-given dignity of all involved,” Cahill said.
“We will continue to urge an approach to immigration enforcement that is targeted, proportionate, and humane, always respecting each person’s inherent dignity, the sanctity of families, and religious liberty,” he added.
“At the same time, we will continue to call on Congress to undertake a meaningful reform of our immigration system to rectify the ways our current laws lead to unjust consequences for families and communities,” Cahill said.
During her tenure, Noem has overseen the president’s mass deportation initiative, which faced criticism from the bishops. DHS oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
In November, the USCCB approved a special message with a 216-5 vote to oppose “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” The bishops also objected to “dehumanizing rhetoric and violence” directed at immigrants and law enforcement and expressed concern about family separation.
Impact of leadership shake-up
It’s unclear whether the shake-up will lead to any significant policy changes, considering that Mullin has strongly supported the administration’s strict enforcement of immigration laws, such as mass deportations, policy scholars said.
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), which works closely with the bishops, is following the shift, with a spokesperson telling EWTN News that the organization hopes the incoming secretary “will recognize the inherent dignity of immigrants and refugees and uphold policies that protect those seeking safety and opportunity.”
“Mullin has a past record of recognizing the importance of providing refuge to Afghans who assisted the United States, and we hope that same understanding of our nation’s moral responsibility will be applied more broadly to people around the world seeking safety and security,” the spokesperson said.
Kevin Appleby, senior fellow for policy and communications for the Center for Migration Studies and former director of migration policy for the USCCB, told EWTN News he sees the change as “an opportunity to get the administration and the [DHS] to change course.”
However, he said the mass deportation policy “will remain in place until President Trump and his advisers decide that it’s the wrong approach [and] that an immigration reform package is in the best interest of the country, and I don’t see that happening in the near future.”
“Until the president takes a different approach, just because you change someone at the top, you won’t change the fundamental policy and what’s happening,” he said.
Appleby said he does not think the leadership change will alleviate the bishops’ concerns because the Church is “opposed to the basic policy” of mass deportations.
Andrew Arthur, resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, told EWTN News that he also doubts the bishops’ concerns will be alleviated, saying: “I don’t believe that his appointment is going to change the president’s immigration policies.”
He said there may be some differences between Noem and Mullin, such as “a continuation of the Tom Homan vision of enforcement — more targeted enforcement,” referring to the border czar. He said there may be a stronger focus on those who have committed additional crimes and more worksite enforcement.
Cuba ‘needs renewal and positive changes not more pain,’ Caribbean bishops say
The Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) expressed its “profound pastoral concern for the people of Cuba” who are facing “grave humanitarian hardships” following the U.S. government’s decision to cut off foreign oil supplies to the island.
President Donald Trump asserted that “Cuba’s going to fall” after being asked by Politico on March 5 about the U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran, which began last weekend, killing the Iranian supreme leader and his top military leaders and triggering an escalation of violence throughout the Middle East.
“We cut off all oil, all money, or we cut off everything coming in from Venezuela, which was the sole source. And they want to make a deal,” Trump said.
These measures have resulted in “acute shortages of fuel and essential supplies causing widespread power cuts, disruptions to hospitals and water systems, and serious threats to food security and basic public services,” the Caribbean bishops said.
On March 4, a blackout left two-thirds of Cuba without electricity. Authorities of the Castro regime, which has ruled the country for 67 years, reported that the “fundamental cause” of the blackout was “the weakness of the electrical system due to the unavailability of fuel” to power backup generators.
These power outages have become increasingly frequent in recent weeks, severely impacting the daily lives of Cubans. The AEC noted that these conditions could “deepen the anguish and suffering among ordinary citizens who have already endured much.”
“While Cuba stands in need of renewal and positive changes, it does not need more pain. Nor should our brothers and sisters on the island feel isolated from us in their suffering, especially when we have been recipients of their own generosity in the past,” the Caribbean bishops said.
“The Church cannot remain silent when dignity is threatened and access to food, health care, and basic necessities becomes increasingly uncertain,” they added. For the AEC, the priority is “families, the elderly, children, and the most vulnerable,” who are the ones “who bear the heaviest burden of circumstances beyond their control.”
The bishops reaffirmed “the fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence” in responding to human needs, especially those of the most vulnerable, to whom aid must reach “without political manipulations or delays.”
“The care we offer to those who are hurting reflects the works of mercy by which we will be judged,” they stated, also expressing their closeness to all the Cuban people and the local Church.
“Disagreements among nations must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, rather than by coercion or conflict. Humanitarian considerations must never be overshadowed by political or strategic interests,” they stated.
The Caribbean bishops invited all the faithful of the region to join in prayer for the relief of Cuban suffering, for wisdom for political leaders, and for finding “paths to peace, justice, and reconciliation.”
“May solidarity replace indifference and may charity overcome division,” they urged.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Father Pasolini at the Vatican: Conversion and humility are paths to peace in times of conflict
The Lenten sermons began March 6 in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican, delivered by the Capuchin friar and preacher to the papal household, Father Roberto Pasolini, and inspired by the conversion of St. Francis of Assisi.
In the first of the meditations, which will take place every Friday until March 27, Pasolini reflected in the presence of Pope Leo XIV, members of the Roman Curia, and Vatican employees on “Conversion: Following the Lord Jesus on the Path of Humility.”
Aware of the crisis gripping the Middle East and the escalating violence, the priest noted that, in these days marked by sorrow, “speaking of humility might seem abstract, almost a spiritual luxury.”
Reflecting on the threat of war, he emphasized that “peace is born not only from political agreements, nor from diplomatic or military strategies, but from men and women who find the courage to humble themselves.”
These people, marked by humility, are, according to Pasolini, “capable of taking a step back, of renouncing violence in all its forms, of not yielding to the temptation of revenge and oppression, of choosing dialogue even when circumstances seem to thwart it.”
He then described the saint of Assisi as “a man pierced by the fire of the Gospel, capable of rekindling in each person the longing for a new life in the Spirit.”
In light of the example of St. Francis, the priest posed this question as a starting point: “What is meant by conversion?”
“It is, first and foremost, God’s initiative, in which man is called to participate with all his freedom,” he said.
He further explained that it occurs “in the innermost recesses of our nature, where the image of God imprinted within us awaits awakening. It is when something, long silent, begins to stir anew within the person.”
“Conversion is no longer an attempt to straighten out one’s life through one’s own strength but rather a response to a grace that has redefined the parameters of how we perceive, judge, and desire,” he added.
“Conversion is no longer an attempt to straighten out one’s life through one’s own strength but rather a response to a grace that has redefined the parameters of how we perceive, judge, and desire.”
Father Roberto PasoliniCapuchin friar and preacher to the papal household
For a true evangelical conversion, the friar emphasized the need to identify the root of evil — that is, sin — without falling into the temptation of reducing it “to a small mistake or weakness.”
He proposed “deep healing” for this purpose, emphasizing that “if the possibility of true evil no longer exists, we cannot even believe in the possibility of true good. If sin disappears, even holiness becomes an abstract and incomprehensible destiny.”
He emphasized that humility “is a path that every baptized person is called to follow if they wish to fully embrace the grace of life in Christ.” Furthermore, he emphasized that it “does not impoverish man” but rather restores him to himself and to his true greatness.
“Original sin arises precisely from the rejection of humility: from the refusal to accept oneself as a finite human being, dependent on God. Conversion, then, can only be understood as a return to humility,” he affirmed.
Finally, Pasolini exhorted everyone to ongoing conversion and reiterated that evangelical humility is most necessary “in times of conflict and difficulty.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Pope to Italian newspaper: In age of AI, respect role of journalists and dignity of readers
“To respect the role of journalists and the dignity of readers,” Pope Leo XIV described the particular task of the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera (Evening Courier) on the occasion of its 150th anniversary.
In his letter, addressed to editor-in-chief Luciano Fontana, the Holy Father also warned of the challenge posed by the technological revolution and urged the newspaper to “keep pace with the times.”
In the age of artificial intelligence, the pope emphasized, “there is an irreplaceable task concerning communication” and, in particular, for major newspapers, given their historical legacy.
According to the pope, this task consists of “never renouncing one’s authority, guaranteeing the transparency of sources, respecting the role of journalists and the dignity of readers, cultivating the human dimension of the story, which only experience can provide.”
“...never renouncing oneʼs authority, guaranteeing the transparency of sources, respecting the role of journalists and the dignity of readers, cultivating the human dimension of the story, which only experience can provide.”
Pope Leo IXV
Pope Leo XIV congratulated the newspaper on its 150th anniversary and for having borne witness “to the role of the printed press as a vehicle for disseminating not only news but also ideas and culture as a living leaven of the society that your newspaper has helped to build.”
“Your responsibility is great, as long as your history. Many best wishes for this anniversary, which testifies to the deep bond that unites you with Italy and encourages you to cultivate together your roots and your future,” the Holy Father stated.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Catholic bishops’ conferences around the world call for end to Iran war
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news you might have missed this week:
Catholic bishops’ conferences around the world call for end to Iran war
Catholic bishops in Europe and Asia are calling for de-escalation of the Iran war as the conflict broadens across the Middle East.
“No political leader has the authority to unleash war at will,” the Irish bishops said in a March 4 statement.
The Australian bishops’ conference said in a statement: “The loss of life and the fear and uncertainty experienced by ordinary people and the destabilization of an already fragile region weigh heavily on our hearts.”
The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences joined in, calling for “immediate cessation of hostilities and for all parties to exercise moral responsibility, resisting the spiral of escalation that leads only to deeper suffering and irreversible loss.”
The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) also released a letter assuring the people of Iran of the bishops' spiritual solidarity and continued prayers, calling for “diplomacy to regain its central role and for the well-being of peoples seeking peaceful lives founded on justice to be safeguarded,” according to a report in ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa.
Indonesian court convicts 7 tribal men over death threats to priest
The Sikka District Court in Indonesia has sentenced seven members of the Goban Runut and Soge Natarmage communities to six months in prison for threatening to murder a Catholic priest.
The March 4 conviction comes after Father Aloysius Ndate said in March 2025 that he had been threatened by 15 men in December 2023 while he was serving as leader of a local mission station, according to a UCA News report on Thursday. The threats were made in relation to land dispute between tribal groups and the Diocese of Maumere.
Iraqi Christian woman arrested for sharing video related to Iran war
An Iraqi Christian woman, Rana Hikmat Korkis, 46, has been detained in Baghdad over a widely shared video that security officials described as “offensive” and potentially inflammatory.
According to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, Korkis was detained on March 2 and transferred to al-Saadoun police station, but no detailed judicial statement has yet clarified the final charge. Rights groups and local voices are urging due process and protection of her legal rights, warning against online incitement and the spread of her personal information; one watchdog also alleged she faced mistreatment in custody and called on authorities to ensure her safety.
According to ACI MENA, Korkis appeared in the video clip scattering candy and expressing joy after the announcement of the killing of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei.
Sudan bishops call latest attacks ‘fresh descent into the abyss of human depravity’
Catholic bishops in Sudan and South Sudan have condemned the reported killing of at least 170 people in two separate incidents in South Sudan, ACI Africa reported Wednesday.
In a statement issued by members of the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference and shared with ACI Africa on March 4, the Church leaders described the attacks as a “fresh descent into the abyss of human depravity” and called for urgent action to end cycles of violence and impunity in the world’s youngest nation.
UN Security Council removes sanctions from militant group founded by Syria’s president
A unanimous U.N. Security Council decision has removed militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) from international sanctions, lifting measures in place since 2014, an outcome that closes one era internationally but stirs fresh anxiety inside Syria, ACI MENA reported Sunday.
The article points to recent tensions in the Christian-majority town of Saydnaya and a string of incidents, from a killing in Homs to a disappearance and other reported attacks, which have intensified fears of insecurity. Amid conflicting social media claims, many Christians were left asking what real protection and belonging will look like as Syria’s new political landscape takes shape.
Angola priest survives attempted murder at parish office
An Angolan Catholic priest narrowly escaped death after a knife-wielding assailant attacked him inside his parish office at St. Joseph Pastoral Center of Angola’s Catholic Archdiocese of Luanda, ACI Africa reported Wednesday.
The incident occurred at about 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 28 at the pastoral center located within the Immaculate Heart of Mary Morro Bento Parish. Father Inácio Kahamba told ACI Africa on Tuesday: “After the morning Mass, the young man entered the office with his mouth covered by a hat. I asked him to identify himself, but he refused. When I invited him to step outside, he closed the door. He then drew a knife and said: ‘Today I will kill you.’” However, after an “intense” struggle, the assailant, Alcides Piluka, was detained, the priest said.
German cathedral defends near 50-foot ‘art installation’ of humpback whale in sanctuary
St. Viktor’s Cathedral in Xanten, a historic German town in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, is defending its decision to house a more than 45-foot cast of a dead humpback whale in its sanctuary, CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Thursday.
Organizers responsible for the installation, titled “The Cast Whale Project,” said the whale fits “aesthetically and dignified into the room,” according to CNA Deutsch. It has been in the cathedral since Feb. 22 and will remain till March 22.
The project is organized by educational institutions sponsored by the Provost Church of St. Viktor, the Youth Ministry Department of the Diocese of Münster, and the Provost community itself. Münster Auxiliary Bishop Rolf Lohmann is a patron of the installation.
Update: This story was updated at 3:50 p.m. ET on March 6, 2026, with information about the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conferenceʼs statement on the Iran war.
English historian and pro-life advocate Jack Scarisbrick dies at 97
The widely acclaimed English historian and pro-life campaigner Jack Scarisbrick has died at the age of 97. The devout Catholic and Henry VIII scholar passed away on Feb. 28.
Zoe’s Place, the U.K. children’s hospice he founded, announced his passing: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our founder, Professor J.J. Scarisbrick. Jack passed away peacefully this morning, surrounded by his daughters and grandchildren, bringing comfort to his family in his final moments.”
Contribution to Catholic revisionism ‘what I’m most proud of’
John Joseph Scarisbrick was the last of five children and was born in London on Oct. 6, 1928. He attended St. John Fisher Grammar School in Purley, South London, spent two years in the Royal Air Force, and then went on to study history at Christ’s College, Cambridge, under the tutelage of the Benedictine academic Dom David Knowles.
He completed his doctorate in 1955 and was commissioned in 1960 to write the biography of King Henry VIII, which was published eight years later and is still regarded today as the definitive biography of one of the most famous monarchs of all time.
“It is the magisterial quality of J.J. Scarisbrick’s work that has enabled it to hold the field for so long,” Steve Gunn of the Times Literary Supplement said.
In an interview with the Catholic Herald in December 2000, Scarisbrick said it wasn’t this biography that he was most proud of but his contribution to Catholic revisionism — an intellectual movement that challenged the common understanding of the Reformation.
“That’s what I am most proud of really, is being part of that,” Scarisbrick said. “I think, if I might say so, it was the first bit of Catholic revisionism that contested the notion that the whole Church had been sinking ever deeper into corruption … I would take the view that there was no sign of total Church corruption. But there were of course serious weaknesses. The Church is always corrupt, always failing, because it is made up of human beings.”
Commitment to life
Aside from his outstanding academic success, Scarisbrick, along with his late wife, Nuala, made a huge impact on the pro-life movement in England and Wales following the legalization of abortion in 1967. Jack and Nuala’s passionate commitment to upholding the dignity of life resulted in them establishing the pregnancy crisis charity called Life in 1970, along with three hospices for children with disabilities in Liverpool Coventry and Middlesborough.
Scarisbrick received an MBE (member of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s 2015 New Years Honours list for the work of Zoe’s Place, and he was also made a knight of the Papal Order of St. Sylvester by Pope John Paul II in 1993 in recognition of the work of Life. Nuala was made a dame of the same order.
According to a tribute to Scarisbrick published on Life’s website, Scarisbrick explained his personal reasons for founding Life as follows: “I think it was becoming a father and realizing that … that child had been a reality, a human being, for nine months before I actually held it in my arms. It was the enormity of distinguishing between born life and unborn life.
“Secondly, we had a pregnancy that — alas — failed, miscarried. But it came very soon after our first child was born. We were due to go to a teaching post in America. And all these plans [were] in turmoil when we discovered [that Nuala was pregnant].
“And I realized how easy it was to panic … All sensible people were saying we could just quietly get rid of it … I could understand therefore why the crisis pregnancy is such a real crisis.”
As well as providing housing for women facing crisis pregnancies through their charity Life, the Scarisbricks welcomed women facing crisis pregnancies into their family home in Leamington Spa, England. At one point there were five pregnant women living under their roof. Jack and Nuala personally housed 30 expectant mothers in total.
Following the death of Scarisbrick, the Catholic bishops of England and Wales released a statement on March 3 saying: “Professor Scarisbrick was one of the foremost campaigners for the life of the unborn following the passing of the 1967 Abortion Act. Jack and his late wife, Nuala, founded the charity ‘Life.’ They knew that it was not only necessary to make the case against abortion but also to provide practical help to women who were finding it difficult to cope with their pregnancies. Jack did both of these things valiantly and with great skill. Nearly 60 years later, Life is still fulfilling this vital role of assisting women who are carrying a baby and need support.”
The statement continued: “Professor Scarisbrick was a serious academic whose work was of profound importance. It is remarkable that somebody could make such an impact in so many spheres.”
Scottish bishops urge politicians to reject ‘dreadful’ assisted suicide bill
Scottish Catholic bishops and pro-life leaders have made a passionate plea to politicians ahead of a key vote to reject a proposed assisted suicide bill because it is “unsafe.”
Assisted suicide is currently illegal in Scotland, but if Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill becomes law, terminally ill adults will be given assistance to end their own lives.
With a final vote on the controversial proposal due to take place on March 17, Scottish bishops have made an urgent plea to Scottish politicians, known as MSPs (members of Scottish Parliament), to reject the legislation, which they dismiss as “a dreadful mess.”
Speaking to EWTN News, Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said: “Liam McArthur’s bill is not safe — and it will harm many more than it wants to help. I urge the Scottish Parliament to reject this legislation.”
He added: “Astonishingly, MSPs will be asked to vote on an incomplete bill, with key protections for doctors and other health care staff needing to be stripped out and legislated for by the U.K. Parliament. It is, quite frankly, a dreadful mess, especially for a bill that is literally a matter of life and death.”
The bishops’ call comes as reports have emerged of some Christians in Scotland backing the bill.
The Catholic Church teaches that assisted suicide is inherently immoral, and Keenan argued that the vulnerable will be at risk from the bill.
“The bill being proposed, if it becomes law, will lead to Scottish citizens, especially the elderly, sick, and disabled, living in deep and profound fear,” he said, going on to explain the reasons for which the bishops are opposed to the bill.
“Under the proposal, people would not be precluded from applying for an assisted suicide if they have an intellectual disability or eating disorder or are being influenced to apply because of poverty or inadequate housing,” he said.
He continued: “Doctors can initiate discussion on assisted suicide even when patients have not brought it up, significantly undermining trust in the doctor-patient relationship and putting vulnerable patients at risk of coercion. No training will be offered to spot domestic abuse or coercive control or to understand the rights of people with disability.”
While it is uncertain how the vote will turn out, research from pro-life charity Right To Life UK stated that over 20 MSPs who originally voted for the bill “have indicated they could vote against it at the final vote at Stage 3.” The bill will fail if seven of these MSPs change their minds to vote against it.
Right To Life UK warned that legalizing assisted suicide would represent “a total catastrophe for Scotland.” The charity’s spokesperson Catherine Robinson told EWTN News that the bill “will almost certainly have an especially negative impact” upon people with disabilities.
Following the Scottish Parliament’s decision to reject or withdraw over a hundred proposals designed to make the bill safer and protect the most vulnerable, Keenan outlined the choice facing MSPs.
“With reasonable safeguards rejected and the removal of key protections for doctors, the choice before our MSPs is now a binary one: either to facilitate the autonomy of some who wish the discretion to end their lives as and how they choose and vote for an incomplete bill, or to protect the countless vulnerable people who will undoubtedly be caught up in its crosswinds. It is clear that MSPs cannot vote to have both,” he said.
The bill has been heavily criticized by the pro-life community. Echoing Keenan’s comments, Paul Atkin, pro-life officer at the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, told EWTN News: “We urge MSPs to step back from this dangerous bill.” Blasting the bill as “deeply flawed and unsafe,” Atkin highlighted the “uncertainty and unresolved safeguards,” saying: “Introducing assisted suicide risks undermining the very services that provide compassionate care to people at the end of life.”
He added: “When the stakes are literally matters of life and death, uncertainty and unresolved safeguards should give the Scottish Parliament serious pause.”
Many representatives from the political and medical sphere have also shared their concerns about the legislation. The Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland “strongly oppose[s]” the bill, saying it “opposes a change in the law on assisted dying and therefore the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill.”
Sharing his own opposition, Catholic Peer Lord David Alton pointed out that “safeguards don’t work,” adding: “You only have to see what’s happened in Holland, Belgium, and Canada, and other jurisdictions that have introduced these changes. The safeguards are not worth the paper on which they are written.”
Looking forward, Keenan and Atkin both called the Scottish Parliament to change its focus from assisted suicide toward investing in the protection and care of the vulnerable. Keenan urged the Scottish Parliament to initiate “a meaningful debate on end-of-life care,” adding: “Focusing on how we protect the most vulnerable should be our priority in Scotland.”
Atkin also called on MSPs to “focus on strengthening palliative care so that every person in Scotland can receive the support and dignity they deserve at the end of life.”
Mother Agnes Mary of the Sisters of Life to be honored with Fiat Award
Just ahead of International Women’s Day, the GIVEN Institute announced that Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, SV, the first superior general of the Sisters of Life, will receive the 2026 GIVEN Fiat Award.
GIVEN, a nonprofit organization that helps young women identify their gifts for the Church and the world, will honor Donovan “for her extraordinary witness to the dignity of women, the gift of life, and the integration of faith and professional excellence,” GIVEN said in a press release.
The Fiat Award honors women whose lives embody the response of Our Lady through faithful leadership, service, and love in the Church and the world.
“I was shocked, actually, and I’m deeply pleased,” Donovan told EWTN News about being honored with the award.
GIVEN “was raised up with a particular purpose, which was to identify young women who had aptitude for leadership, who were Catholic, and for whom an institute like GIVEN could provide formation, networking, help them to identify the gifts that God has given them, that they can use at the service of the world and the Church,” Donovan said.
“It’s done a remarkable job of that, which is really so pleasing,” she said.
Work of Mother Agnes Mary
“Mother Agnes Mary Donovan exemplifies the fiat of a woman who has received her gifts fully and poured them out in love,” said Sister Mary Gabriel Devlin, SV, board chair of the GIVEN Institute.
“Her life of spiritual motherhood, intellectual depth, and compassionate service is a powerful witness for young women seeking to lead with courage and faith,” she said.
Before entering religious life, Donovan earned her doctorate in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and taught at Columbia University.
Donovan was one of the first women to join the Sisters of Life founded by Cardinal John O’Connor in 1991. She served as their superior general from 1993 to 2021, leading the community in its mission to serve pregnant women in need, offer retreats for healing and renewal, and accompany those suffering after abortion.
Under her leadership, the Sisters of Life grew with dedication to proclaiming the sacredness of every human life. Her work has supported thousands of women in crisis.
Donovan is set to be honored at the Catholic Women’s Leadership Celebration on Saturday, June 27, at the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America during the GIVEN Institute’s annual forum.
After Donovan is honored with the Fiat Award, she will participate in a featured conversation with legal scholar, professor, and author Helen Alvaré.