Sister Avelina Josey Lagalot was born in Vancouver in 1993. During her early university years in Surrey, just outside Vancouver, she was a regular at St. Matthew’s Parish. After graduating from Simon Fraser University, she felt a strong calling to dedicate her life to God and began exploring religious communities.
With a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Ecology, Avelina initially hoped to serve as a nun-teacher, sharing her passion for natural sciences, but those opportunities didn’t materialize. That’s when some acquaintances told her about the Sisters of Life. You can read more at vancouveranka.
Why Sister Lagalot Chose the Sisters of Life
The Sisters of Life, founded in 1991 by Cardinal John O’Connor, are dedicated to protecting and enhancing the sanctity of every human life.
Avelina visited the convent in New York, and during her first shared prayer, she felt an undeniable sense of belonging – a feeling that this was where she could truly “put down roots.” She visited the Sisters of Life two more times over the next eighteen months before making the life-changing decision to join the community. A couple of years later, she took the brave step to become one of them.
Sister Avelina Josey Lagalot now serves at the convent alongside eleven other sisters. Their primary mission is to care for and assist pregnant women and mothers with children facing crisis situations. They provide women with **housing, maternity clothing, baby formula, and other essentials for childbirth.** They also help them access **free medical, legal, and social services.** The Sisters offer personalized, holistic support rooted in a profound love for human life, seeing all people as created in the image and likeness of God.
Ten of the nuns work directly with the women, while two others coordinate with doctors, psychologists, students, and volunteers who assist the religious organization.
The organization’s guiding principle is to **treat everyone with love.** According to Sister Lagalot, the nuns start by loving those closest to them—their own sisters in the convent. They extend that same feeling to the women who seek their help. It was this powerful emphasis on love for others that initially drew Sister Lagalot to the community.
The Sisters’ dedication to their neighbours is grounded in their unwavering Catholic faith, which inspires and empowers them to build special relationships with vulnerable women in need of emotional, spiritual, and material support.
A Day in the Life of a Nun
Like all nuns, Sister Lagalot has taken vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. But as a Sister of Life, she also made a fourth vow: **to protect human life.**
Life at the convent is busy. Sister Avelina Josey Lagalot spends **half her time in prayer and the other half serving women and children** who need assistance.
The Sisters of Life habit consists of a white dress with a dark blue cape. Their heads are covered with a white veil framed by a dark band. They wear a metal medallion around their necks.
The day starts early. The Sisters wake up at 5:00 AM. After getting ready and their hygiene routines, they begin with morning prayer and a 30-minute meditation. This is followed by Holy Mass. After the service, the nuns gather for breakfast.
At 8:30 AM, the Sisters engage in apostolic work, study, or their duties within the convent. The Sisters of Life’s mission includes serving women, providing them with support and resources to rebuild their lives, leading weekend retreats, and outreach work with college students, among other activities.
Next is midday prayer, followed by lunch and personal time. Then the Sisters return to their studies and work in the convent. The evening brings evening prayer, dinner, and rest.