The Visitation & the Salesian Family

St. Francis giving the Rule for the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary to St. Jane.

Happy Feast of the Visitation! May 31 

The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary was founded by St. Francis and St. Jane in 1610. They chose this event with the hope that the sisters would follow the example of Mary and Elizabeth in the way they visited and cared for the sick, the poor, and the lonely. 

When the Church asked that the order remain cloistered, the sisters continued their ministry through prayers, letters, and opening their monasteries to visitors and people seeking spiritual assistance. 

Since 1610, the spirit that St. Francis de Sales so desired for the first Visitandines has been carefully preserved and handed down - heart to heart - to thousands of devout women professing lives of loving service to God and neighbor. The mystery of the Visitation from which the Order draws its name celebrates friendship between women and inspires union among monasteries around the world, linking them to Annecy, their 'Holy Source,' for over four centuries. May the Visitation spirit continue to shine the light of Jesus for years to come! Learn more about St. Francis de Sales and the Naming of the Visitation Order by clink on the button below!