News Post

Visitation celebrated Founders Day on October 13, honoring the Feast of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, VHM and her devotion to the Sacred Heart. The day kicked off with a skit by teachers Thomas Farrell and Toni Buranen, playing the roles of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal, founders of the Visitation order and role models of holy friendship - the focus of the day’s programming. 

“We were founded on the holy friendship of Mary and Elizabeth, of Francis and Jane, and of the Sisters living in community then and now,” said Director of Campus Ministry Casey de Franceaux ‘12. “Friendship can easily be overlooked - of course you make friends in high school. But at Visitation our friendships have always been more than that.”

Remarks followed by Danielle Harrison, the Salesian Center’s Woman Who Make a Difference speaker. An alumna of Visitation sister school, St. Louis Viz, Dartmouth College, St. Louis University School of Law, and Aquinas Institute of Theology, Ms. Harrison is the President of Mission, Faith, Equity Consulting, helping organizations understand the relationship between faith and equitable justice. She has also served as a Mission Integration leader for Visitation Academy and Cor Jesu Academy (St. Louis), the Co-Director of the Jesuit Conference’s Slavery, History, Memory, and Reconciliation Project, and currently is a consultant with the History of Enslaved People Project at Georgetown Visitation project.

Ms. Harrison spoke about the beauties and challenges of friendships, including touching on her friendship with Olivia Wills Kane ‘85, Director of the St. Jane Salesian Center and planner of Founders Day. She even serenaded Mrs. Kane during her remarks! 

“In listening to Danielle's reflections on how building relationships and living in community can be challenging,” said Mrs. Kane. “But it's meaningful work, it's life-giving work, it's what we're called to do if we strive to truly 'Live Jesus.'”

Freshmen and sophomores dove deeper into the theme of holy friendship with two activities: finding examples of holy friendship in the Wicket student newspaper archives and making friendship flowers as an offering at Mass later that day. Juniors and seniors engaged with the history of Georgetown Visitation, specifically its History of Enslaved People. 

Later, all students wrote letters to a member of the Visitation community they consider to be a friend, with guidance from school archivist Genevieve Kocienda. Mass with Board member and former faculty Rev. Michael Vannicola, OSFS concluded the morning as he shared how he speaks of “heart” feelings and the story of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, VHM, who was devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

The day ended with a dance party in the gym and remarks from Mrs. Kane, who told the story of when her own senior class lost Marshmallow Roast to the freshman class - and how wisdom from Sr. Mary Berchmans helped them swallow their pride and disappointment to congratulate the underclasswomen and themselves on a job well done. They were truly rooted in friendship that year; a theme that led well into the evening’s activities - the beloved tradition of Marshmallow Roast.