The Visitation Sisterhood

The Sisters of the Visitation are an active and spiritual presence in our school community. The Sisters see their primary ministry today to be in sharing their Salesian heritage, a spirituality which infuses their monastic life, with all the constituents of the school.

"You can catch more flies with a spoonful of honey than with a barrel of vinegar."

St. Francis de Sales

Saint Francis de Sales, their founder, is frequently referred to as the "Saint of Common Sense." His spirituality is very down to earth, and in very simple terms he encourages every person under his guidance or direction to see excellence as 'using one's God-given gifts to become the very best person possible.' He was a great proponent of balance, always seeking the middle path and avoiding those extremes which create imbalance in one's life. Two of his sayings are well-known today, and speak to the essence of his spirituality:

"There is nothing so strong as gentleness and nothing so gentle as real strength."

St. Francis de Sales

In these two quotations we see his conviction about living a life of gentleness, a virtue that stands strong against the forces of violence. Francis saw in the practice of what he termed the "little virtues" a way of making life pleasant for all those around us and of reflecting the beauty of the gospel message of Christ: "Learn from me that I am gentle and humble of heart." These little virtues include kindness, gentleness, optimism, cheerfulness, humility, thoughtful concern for others, patience and graciousness.

"We are not drawn to God by iron chains, but by sweet attractions and holy inspirations."
St. Francis de Sales

St. Jane de Chantal, the co-founder of the Visitation Order was a woman of tremendous faith who embraced Salesian spirituality to the fullest. Her famous words, often attributed to Mother Teresa, encourage our students to become aware of the values of the smallest thing they might do during the day.

"Doing little things with great love makes them truly great!"

St. Francis de Sales

The gospel values proposed by both of these saints encourage us to "Live Jesus." May Jesus live in all that we think, in all that we say and in all that we do each moment of the day. This is the Salesian path to holiness and wholeness.

Finally, we see in the mystery of the Visitation the beauty of two women reaching out to one another as they reciprocally give and receive the Lord's blessings. This is the model we hold before our students as they minister to one another within the school community and to our teachers as they reach out to assist the wholesome growth of the students in their care. If you would like to learn more about the Visitation Order and its monasteries around the United States, please visit our web site at www.visitationsisters.org.