Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary

[Cloisters]

The Order of the Visitation was co-founded by Sts Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal in Annecy, France in the post-Reformation days. The sisters were originally founded to minister to the poor in their own homes, but the recent Council of Trent mandated that religious orders be cloistered. And so they were. This particular cloistered order, however, would follow the path of humility, and not practice extreme penances, like the established orders. They would also be suitable for those with disabilities.

Here is the clearinghouse site my organization built pro-bono for the US and UK Visitation:

http://cloisters.tripod.com/us_vhm_first_fed/

Blessings,
Mrs Cloisters OP
Lay Dominican
http://cloisters.tripod.com/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/holyangels/id9.html/

 

[RoseScented]

Another thing to note, is that the Visitandines take older vocations as well those with disabilities. The women have to be free of debt, not be married (so never married or widowed), and not have any dependents. The Visitandines I’m currently speaking with have an age limit of 55. The oldest (I think) Visitandine community in the US still has managed not to have an age limit on the people they will accept.

 

[Cloisters]

Your news of discernment gladdens my heart beyond words, @RoseScented. I believe Georgetown DC is the oldest Visitation monastery, but they are Second Federation, along with Brooklyn.

Yes, they will accept older vocations.

My organization has proposed a male counterpart to the Visitation nuns. Everything starts with the congregation we’re founding right now, so those proposed Visitation monks will begin as Congregational Recluses, or Poustiniki, if drawn to limited external Apostolate, for our Education Division. Our group will take annual simple vows, which facilitates the branching off of any aspirants wishing to become their own community.

 

[RoseScented]

Your news of discernment gladdens my heart beyond words, @RoseScented. I believe Georgetown DC is the oldest Visitation monastery, but they are Second Federation, along with Brooklyn.

Huh, I was thinking the ones in Alabama were the oldest, but I’m probably just confusing the age of their monastery with the age of the oldest order. I do remember reading that the ones in DC were the oldest now that you’ve mentioned it.

I will definitely be praying for your organization’s proposal. It sounds like a lovely idea and one I imagine would be useful to men if there isn’t already an order that has a gentler life to allow for those with disabilities to join. As the novice mistress I’m talking to says, “Since we don’t have all of the external penances, we must focus more on our internal disposition and live a life of joy while focusing on the virtues.”