Spiritual Life
Campus Ministry
As a Catholic school, faith is our cornerstone. We are guided by the gentle and practical Salesian Spirituality of Saints Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal as we enrich each student’s life with a optimistic, holistic approach to her spiritual life.Along with our Religion classes and Christian Service Program, our Campus Ministry Office supports students’ spiritual development through a range of activities. These include Masses, prayer services, in-class talks, and retreats, all aimed at helping girls strengthen their relationships with God, self, and others.
While there are many opportunities for students to deepen their faith, graduating seniors often say that some of their most profound, life-changing experiences were the retreats they participated in at Visitation. Junior Retreat, a classwide event held at Camp Maria on scenic Breton Bay, is usually among girls' most treasured memories, and the Kairos Retreats are often referred to as "incredible" and "life-changing."
Salesian Reflections at Masses
After each school Mass, a community member is invited to offer a brief reflection inspired by the Salesian theme of the month. These personal reflections invite a deeper understanding of our shared Salesian Spirituality.
Kairos
The Kairos Retreat is a student- and adult-led experience that invites students to reflect on and encounter Christ through prayer and the people in their lives.
Mass Opportunities
- Daily lunchtime Mass
- Monthly all-school Mass (including holy days of obligation that fall during the school week)
- Optional monthly Salesian Community Masses on Sundays
By the Numbers
Learn More1
Campus Minister
9
all-school Masses
per year
6
spiritual retreats offered
16,500
student service
hours a year
30
liturgical ministers for school Mass
6
service trips
5
collection drives
25,000
cans of food collected
at Gold-White
Christian Service
All students are required to complete 80 hours of Christian service before graduating, but many far surpass this goal. In fact, our average senior class offers an average total of 16,000 hours before they leave our gates!Caring for others is a fundamental part of our Catholic faith and Salesian tradition, and our academic and co-curricular programs work in tandem to reinforce this important virtue. While our Religion classes and Campus Ministry programs help students build the intellectual and spiritual foundations for a lifetime of service, our robust Christian Service Program provides girls with opportunities to put their knowledge and beliefs into immediate practice.
Each year, we sponsor dozens of service projects in the local area, across the country, and beyond our borders. These programs might include reading to children in Peru or breaking bread with the homeless here in DC. Though the school offers a diversity of service projects, students are also encouraged to find their own, with the approval of our Christian Service Director. Either way, these experiences cultivate and energize our girls’ understanding of their potential to be agents of positive change in our Church, our community, and our world. Students walk away with broadened perspectives and stretched comfort zones and a heightened sense of purpose.
Service Photo Gallery
Service Projects
- Pack-a-Backpack Drive
- McKenna's Wagon
- Saturday School
- Gold-White Canned Food Drive
- Pine Ridge Immersion Trip
- St. Francis Inn Trips
- VISTORY (summer service week with other Visitation schools)
- International Service Trips
- Lent & Advent Drives
- Days of Service: MLK, Columbus Day, 9/11
Service Hours Required Each Year
Freshman Year:
15 hours
Sophomore Year:
15 hours
Junior Year:
25 hours
Senior Year:
25 hours
To love our neighbor in charity is to love God in man.
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES
Incoming Freshman Summer Class
Service in the City
Religion Department
Through in-depth study, discussion, and reflection, our Religion classes invite girls to explore their faith and deepen their relationship with God.
Salesian Center
Preserving and sharing our treasured Salesian Spirituality today and for generations to come.
