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VISITATION ORDER - First Federation Cloistered Contemplative Since the Visitation Order was founded in 1610, its mission and spirit have been rooted in the humility and charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: the Heart that Mary carried within her own when she made her Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth. This mission was augmented later in the seventeenth century, when the Sacred Heart made His appeal for Reparation in His Revelations to St. Margaret Mary, a Visitation Nun. Great humility toward God and gentleness toward the neighbor animate the mission of the Sisters of the Visitation in the Church today. St. Francis de Sales, with the cooperation of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, founded the Order of the Visitation in Annecy, France. It spread through Europe, and in 1816 was established in the United States in a community of teaching religious, in Georgetown, D.C., who had been formed in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales since their foundation in 1799. The first strictly contemplative monastery of the Order was established in Wilmington, Delaware in 1892. Today there are seven such monasteries and they comprise the First Federation of Visitation Monasteries in the United States. Renewed and affirmed by Vatican Council II, the Sisters of the Visitation continue their mission of prayer and apostolic love with a new thrust in the direction of private retreats within the cloister, and vocation retreats for those who are studying their vocation. Candidates may be accepted to a period of prepostulancy to experience the life for several months. This period may be expanded if necessary or desirable. FORMATION Postulancy- A period from six months to a year before admittance to the novitiate. A time of guidance in study of the reality of God's call, in the perspective of the qualifications prescribed in the Constitutions of the Order. Novitiate- At least two years of formation and instruction; a time for experiencing as much as possible the form of life and its demands; and for study of the novice's qualifications and of her free response to the grace required to live in a contemplative community. Profession- First vows are pronounced for a period of three years, which may be prolonged for another three years, during which formation is continued, and the sister integrated into community life. At the end of this period, the definitive profession takes place. This entire period is oriented toward the final act of surrender to God in total consecration. Continued Formation- Throughout the religious life, provision is made for continued theological, biblical and spiritual development in order to enrich the fruitfulness of their hidden apostolate in a more generous service to the Church. DRESS The traditional form of
the religious Habit of the Order Further information and the addresses of the Visitation Monasteries of the First Federation may be obtained by writing to: Federation President |
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