Drawn to the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary?

Posted on December 18, 2013 by the Sisters

At any time in your life, have you been stirred by the message of St. Francis de Sales or St. Jane de Chantal?

 

 

 

Fascinated by their lives?

Drawn to the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, or interested in the apparitions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque?

 

 

 

 

Does an explicit or secret desire within your heart keep prodding you toward religious life? Monastic life? Contemplative life?

Ever think the Visitation Order of Holy Mary might be for you?

If Yes is the answer to any of these questions, we’d like to hear from you!

The Lord works many miracles during the season of His Holy Birth.

He will work one for you!

Please contact Sr Susan Marie through e mail at

Vizmon89@catholic.org

We will be pleased to write to or speak with you about our spirituality, or even a possible vocation to the VISITATION MONASTERY in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

Come for a Day of Recollection or retreat!

Blessings to each of you whom Our Lord is tapping to share the treasures of His Heart and the Visitation Order!

 

Posted in Monastery Events, Salesian Spirituality, Vocations | 7 Comments

Monastic Advent

Posted on December 2, 2013 by the Sisters

We wait in expectation with our Blessed Mother for the arrival of Our Lord, in Memory, as a Babe in Bethlehem, in Presence, in our lives from minute to minute, and in Glory, when His Father chooses to send Him again to our world.

Our liturgies at dawn, midday, twilight and night all breathe the sense of waiting, anticipation and great, delicate beauty. Our chants are full and melodious, reflecting our hearts’ gentle stance toward His coming.

Our environment evidences the Advent season with wreath and candle but not much more until we approach the great day of Christmas, when all tasteful decorations of the season flash their greens and reds among us.

Our hearts, each individual Sister’s secret preparation most intimately occurs within them, laying out with care her interior and personal manger of Love for our Lord Jesus.

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If you would like to discuss topics about monastic life or the Visitation Monastery with a Sister, you are welcome to join our Yahoo Groups at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/VisitationMonastery/info

and

http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/VisitationMonastery/conversations/messages

Share the spirituality of the Visitation Order and the writings of St Francis de Sales, St Jane de Chantal and St Margaret Mary by living Jesus in your daily life. Through the grace of the Sacred Heart, we will form a circle of prayer for both laity and those discerning religious life. Spread the spirit of the Visitation’s monastic life in your area, parish or Diocese, even if no physical Monastery is present yet!

 

 

 

 

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Advent Mass/Tree Lighting December 1st

Posted on November 23, 2013 by the Sisters

Annual Lighting of the Visitation Nativity Scene

The celebration of the Annual Lighting of the Visitation Monastery/Academy Nativity Scene, followed by the Advent Mass, took place on Sunday, December 1st, at 6:30 pm.  The Visitation Academy Father’s Club  presented the St Francis De Sales award to Mr. John Perez and the Distinguished Faculty Award to Mrs. Lorraine Marciano.  Join us as we begin our Advent season together as a Visitation family.

Here is the current story in the Tablet, followed by a video from a former year:

http://thetablet.org/the-lights-are-on-in-brooklyn/

http://netny.net/currents/video/bay-ridge-school%e2%80%99s-seasonal-celebration-120912/

Posted in Advent, Monastery Events, Monastery News | Leave a comment

From our Annals: November 22, 1963

Posted on November 22, 2013 by the Sisters

Today we remember the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

We share the response of our Visitation community as it reflected upon this tragedy in 1963, a few weeks after the event, from our monastic annals:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in History | 1 Comment

Renovation of Vows

Posted on November 13, 2013 by the Sisters

On the Feast of the Presentation, November 21st, Visitandines around the world renew their sacred vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

The Sisters in Brooklyn prepared  for this holy event by a three day preparatory retreat given by a Salesian of Don Bosco.

The Holy Father Pope Francis will join monastics in this special day for Contemplative Life as well.

Day for the Contemplative Life

In prayer with Pope Francis and Communities of Contemplative Life

Thursday, November 21 at 16.45 (Rome time)

Pope Francis will visit the Camaldolese Monastery of Sant’Antonio Abate on the Aventine in Rome for Vespers and Eucharistic Adoration.

Our Founder, St. Francis de Sales often preached on this Feast of the Presentation. He also established it as the day that we renew our vows. He said, “It is fitting that every year religious should have a special feast on the day of their dedication to God and of their entrance into religion. In our Order we have selected this most appropriate feast of the Presentation of Our Lady on which to renew our resolutions,to present and offer ourselves to the Divine Majesty under her protection,uniting our own offering she made of herself to God.

This commemoration of our vows is made principally to strengthen our fervor, to renew our promises and to reaffirm our good resolutions.

We come with our glorious Lady and under her protection to place all our affections on the altar of the Temple of the Divine Goodness in order that, without reserve, they may be burned and consumed by the fire of His burning charity.”

Source: St Francis de Sales, Sermon, 1617

Pray for us as we prepare to give our lives once again to Our Lord by this prayerful vow formula:

 

Posted in Monastery Events, Monastery News, Vocations | 1 Comment

Visitandines of Brooklyn Reflect the World

Posted on November 12, 2013 by the Sisters

New York City is an ethnically diverse city. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world as well.

Our Monastery in Brooklyn tends to reflect the diversity of our city in its Sisters.

Our 16 Sisters either descend from, or are immigrants from, the cultures of the nations of : Armenia, Austria, Colombia, England, French Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, and  Trinidad.

So far!

Currently we are giving hospitality to two Vietnamese Sisters from another congregation.

We invite young women of  Vietnamese ancestry as well to make a retreat with us! Chúng tôi mời các phụ nữ di sản Việt Nam để cầu nguyện với chúng tôi tại tu viện.

All  are welcome to pray or discern their vocation in the oasis of prayer that is the Brooklyn Visitation Monastery.

 

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What is the Guard of Honor/Hour of Presence of the Sacred Heart of Jesus?

Posted on November 9, 2013 by the Sisters

Posted in Guard of Honor | 2 Comments

Enroll in the Association of the Hour of Presence/Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Posted on November 2, 2013 by the Sisters

The First Friday Mass of November 2013, celebrated at 7PM in the Sacred Heart Chapel also included the enrollment of new members into the Association of the Hour of Presence/Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

If you are interested in devoting one designated hour of your day in reparation to Jesus’ Heart, please use the form below to enroll.

Posted in Guard of Honor, Monastery Events | 21 Comments

Want to Consecrate your Family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus?

Posted on October 30, 2013 by the Sisters

Then come to the First Friday Mass at 7PM, Friday December 6, 2013 at 7PM, at Visitation Monastery’s Sacred Heart Chapel, where Father Peter Gillen will explain the enthronement of the Sacred Heart in your home and consecration of your family to Jesus’ Heart.

Pray with the Visitation Sisters and learn about joining the Guard of Honor/Hour of Presence of the Sacred Heart.

Literature will also be provided so you can learn more about the Love of Jesus’ Heart for YOU!

Posted in Monastery Events, Monastery News | 2 Comments

Heart to heart

Posted on October 20, 2013 by the Sisters

Like spokes converging around  a sacred circle, the flight and land paths of four  women from Idaho, Tennessee, Upper New York State and New York City discerning a vocation  met in the oasis of prayer of the Visitation Monastery of Brooklyn this past week.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus called them together to speak to their individual hearts in secret while the Sisters shared key elements essential to living the Visitandine monastic life.

The unique beauty of each woman’s soul shone a special light throughout our community, in conversation and in silence, in prayer and in recreation.

Gathering as a group to support each other’s journey, or before the Lord in peaceful Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, they reflected the depths of Christian discipleship and reminded all of us that truly, Jesus lives in each one and each one “lives Jesus”.

The Visitation Sisters of Brooklyn thank you with all their hearts for your witness of faith and for spending those precious hours with us.

May God bless each of you with special grace as you continue to discern His Holy Will in your lives.

God be praised!

 

Posted in Monastery Events, Monastery News, Vocations | Leave a comment