Apostolate

By vocation the sisters are called to the contemplative life. Prayer is at the center of their existence. Their intimate union with God, their communion of life, their “mysterious apostolic fecundity” depend on the quality of their prayer. Love is its mainspring and opens them to the call of God which is always first.  (Constitutions)

Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane de Chantal founded the Order of the Visitation “to give to God daughters of prayer. . . .”

As contemplative nuns, our primary apostolate is prayer, that is, union with God. The enclosure is our “garden-enclosed”, the “trysting place” where we seek and find our Beloved, offering Him an undivided heart.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated daily. “The Eucharist is the source of life in Christ; it unites the sisters in Him and effects their communion with the People of God. In this mystery of unity they realize their desire to save the whole world with Christ.” (Constitutions)

In addition, we pray the Liturgy of the Hours five times a day in which we present to the Divine Majesty the praise and supplications of all His people. It is our special vocation in the Church and our means of sanctifying the day. We also have two hours of prayer and spiritual reading. Our whole life is to be a “living Magnificat” — a living prayer.

“. . . be faithful to abide with Him and leave Him not, except to see and do what He commands, and then return at once and resume this simple attention and occupation near Him.” (St. Jane de Chantal)

“Prayer . . .is simply a conversation in which the soul lovingly speaks with God concerning His most loving goodness so as to be united and joined to that goodness.” (St. Francis de Sales)

Through our Sister, Saint Margaret Mary, we have received the mission to love and make others love the Sacred Heart of Jesus. To aid in this, we have the Guard of Honor monthly holy hour to give glory, love and reparation to the Sacred Heart and an annual Novena in honor of the Sacred Heart. On First Fridays, we have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. We also make and distribute Sacred Heart Badges. The greatest gift we can give Him is a loving fidelity to our way of life.

Whatever we are asked to do — cook, sew, garden, clean — we seek to “offer our work as a living prayer as did the Virgin Mary in her home in Nazareth.” (Constitutions)