Visitation Family Celebrates Founders’ Week
Visitation Academy in St. Louis celebrated Founders' Week, celebrating both the founders of the Visitation - St. Francis and St. Jane - as St. Jane's birthday is on the 23rd and St. Francis' feast is on the 24th.
On Thursday, the 23rd, students, faculty, and staff received a cookie at lunch in honor of St. Jane's birthday!
On Friday, the 24th, the school celebrated with an all-school Mass for St. Francis’ Feast Day.
All of the Mass parts: procession, readings, reflections, call to worship, etc. were filled by the seven students and several adults who had gone on pilgrimage to Annecy, France, where St. Francis and St. Jane lived and ministered.
A Salesian Student Reflection was offered by Allison Scheiner, Class of 2025. Allison was one of Visitation Academy’s students who went on a pilgrimage to Annecy with the Visitation Salesian Network this past summer.
At the end of Mass, Sr. Mary Grace McCormack, VHM, shared a reflection with the student body about how much she wishes there were more of them “sisters” here to show us the same joy. But, since there is not, she charged the girls to be that for each other and to be the “sisters of today” giving witness to the joy of the Visitation of Holy Mary. As students left Mass, the Sisters and members of the Association of Christian Faithful (the school’s canonical sponsor) passed out honey candies to students, reminding them of St. Francis de Sales' quote "You catch more flies with a spoonful of honey than a barrelful of vinegar."
