On Mothers’ Day 1997 the late Cardinal Thomas Winning launched the Pro-Life Initiative: all women who felt that social, financial or emotional pressures were forcing them to opt for abortion, or those who had already had an abortion and were struggling to cope, were invited to contact the Archdiocese of Glasgow for support. On the day he made the announcement, he called on Roseann Reddy to run the project for him.

For some time Roseann had felt that God was calling her to religious life and her work at the Initiative convinced her that here, in the heart of the Gospel of Life, was where evangelisation was most needed, especially in secular Britain. She therefore approached Cardinal Winning and, with his blessing, a new community was formed. I had known Roseann for a number of years by this stage and had felt called to religious life but, the truth is, I wasn’t drawn to any existing communities. John Paul II’s encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, the Gospel of Life, was very much the vision that focused that call to religious life for both of us; it inspired us then, and inspires us still. January 2000 saw the beginnings of the Sisters of the Gospel of Life for whom the principal apostolate was, and is, the work of the Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative.

The foundational work centres on the emotional, spiritual and material support offered to women faced with a crisis pregnancy. To that end, we have a centre in Glasgow where women come for counselling or simply practical advice and assistance in coping with a pregnancy in difficult circumstances. For so many, the problem is not the baby but the problems surrounding the baby. Alleviating her concerns regarding bad housing, debt, unstable relationships or the prospect of being alone, enables her to respond to her natural instincts to have and nurture her baby.

Being pro-life is far more than being anti-abortion; it is not just about saving lives – it is about allowing every person to flourish in the way God intended. The Gospel of Life is embodied in the Person of Jesus Christ, who came to us that ‘we may have life, and have it abundantly’ (Jn 10:10). For the world we are living in desperately needs the life that only Christ can bring. People look for pleasure, excitement, fulfilment in all those things that never last and, in the end, they despair and wonder if their own lives have any meaning at all. That’s what happens when we, as creatures, lose sight of God our Creator; we quickly lose sight of each other and our responsibility for each other.

The ‘each for his own’ mentality tends to favour the strong and the powerful, in which the weak and vulnerable have no right to exist. It truly is a culture of death which can only be conquered by the civilisation of love, at the heart of which stands the cross of Jesus Christ. Hanging on the cross, Jesus was apparently at His most powerless: He was derided, mocked, scourged. Yet that was the very point at which the centurion’s eyes were opened. He said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’ (Mk 15:39). His glory is manifested in weakness and He continues to be glorified in the weak and suffering souls that are made in His image and likeness. What is our life, then, if not that striving to see the beauty and sanctity of human life – the glory of human life – in all its forms and stages?

We really believe that, despite current trends in the West, God is still calling women to religious life. Every year, Day for Life rightly encourages us to think and pray more intently for those whose lives are unappreciated and undervalued. The call to defend life and relieve suffering, however, has a deeply religious dimension that – for some people – demands courageous and lifelong commitment. We all have our part to play. The Gospel of Life is not our message but Christ’s, and many more people need to hear it.

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