By Annie Lust
Used with permission of Graceful Living magazine, of the Diocese of Toledo
The sun has not yet risen but behind the walls of the Spanish-style monastery, sixteen women are rising, beginning their day with prayer. They live separated from the world, dressed in black and white habits, with their days dedicated to prayer. It seems medieval, like something from another time and another place, but it’s real life for the Visitation Sisters of Toledo.
The first Bishop of the Diocese of Toledo, Bishop Joseph Scrembs, invited the Sisters of the Visitation to the diocese within a few years of its founding. They were crucial to his vision for the diocese. He told the sisters that his object in bringing the Visitation Order to Toledo was that “The sisters should remain upon the mountain-top in prayer and sacrifice pleading for the salvation of souls, particularly those of the diocese, clergy, religious and laity.” For 105 years, they have continued in that crucial role, separated but united in prayer.
Today’s sisters offer a glimpse behind the walls. (See also “A Day With the Directory.”)
5:30 A.M. The rising bell sounds to wake the sisters each morning. They begin the day in their own cells (the monastic term for bedroom, meaning a small room). Their first act of the day is to declare that they are spouses of Jesus Christ and belong wholly to God, a renewal of their consecration to Him. They dress for the day and then spend one hour in meditation, preparing their minds and hearts for Mass. This is done in the choir behind the grille, a latticed barrier between their pews and the altar.
7:00 A.M. After their meditation the sisters participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass – “the Sun and Center” of their day. Visitors are welcome in the public chapel. Immediately after Mass is a period of thanksgiving followed by breakfast. Most days breakfast is simple. It may consist of cereal and toast with coffee, tea, water, or juice. On feast days, all meals are more festive and special. After breakfast is finished, the sisters do the dishes, house cleaning, or other duties that they’ve been assigned.
8:30 A.M. The bell, which for the sisters is the Voice of Christ, calls them to Morning Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. It’s the first of five times in the day that the sisters pray the Liturgy of the Hours, the official prayer of the Church.
9:00 A.M. A work period begins. Like much of the day, it is done in silence with the work offered to God. Caring for the sacristy, preparing the day’s meals, making their habits and veils, packing altar bread for shipping, taking care of the infirm sisters, house cleaning, and gardening are some of the duties.
10:30 A.M. Again the Voice of the Bridegroom calls the sisters to intimate union with Himself in the Office of Readings. In the various times of the Liturgy of the Hours, God calls the sisters to Himself. In the psalms and in the readings, the sisters seek and find Him and in finding Him they search for Him all the more.
Prayer Requests
The Toledo Visitation Sisters welcome prayer requests! They will pray for your intentions. Requests can be sent by mail to Monastery of the Visitation 1745 Parkside Blvd. Toledo, Ohio 43607-1599, by using our contact form, by email to toledoviz@toast2.net, or by phone at 419-536-1343.
11:15 A.M. The midday meal is the largest of the day. Meat, potatoes, vegetables, and fresh fruit are typical. The sisters eat in silence or listen to spiritual books or tapes in order to “feed not only our bodies but also our souls.” After the meal is finished, there are 45 minutes for recreation. This could be a walk with other sisters, sewing, games, puzzles or crafts. Outdoor games like volleyball, softball, or frisbee are activities that the sisters enjoy as well. Joyful recreation is important – “a recreation well spent means that silence will be well kept, and silence well kept requires a healthy, happy recreation”.
1:00 P.M. Again the bell calls the sisters back to their Center for Midday Prayer which is followed by a brief examination of conscience. Afterward, the sisters have a brief rest period.
2:00 P.M. Another work period begins. The sisters in the novitiate have classes. The novitiate is the formation of new members in the religious life and spiritual life. Prayer, chanting of the Divine Office, Scripture, History of the Order, writings of the Order’s founders (St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal), their charism of humility and gentleness as taught by the founders, Church documents, Catechism of the Catholic Church and more are taught.
3:00 P.M. A half-hour of spiritual reading which begins with a portion of the Holy Constitutions of the Visitation Order.
3:30 P.M. A small snack is offered, followed by a period of work and study or choir practice.
Life Not Rigorous
Unlike some other religious orders, life as a Visitation Sister is not meant to be physically taxing. It may be one of the reasons why the Servant of God Sister Françoise-Thérèse “Léonie” Martin, sister of Saint Thérèse, became a Visitation Sister. Her lifelong health problems would have made more rigorous Orders impossible. Conversely, the Visitation Order is meant to be a way of life anyone can live.
4:45 P.M. Once again the Voice of the Bridegroom is heard in the pealing of the bells which calls the sisters to Evening Prayer followed by 30 minutes of meditation. Through the Liturgy of the Hours, their times of meditation, the sisters make prayer the focus of their day. As is stated in their Constitutions, “Prayer is at the center of their existence.”
6:00 P.M. The sisters gather for supper and recreation. The evening recreation lasts about an hour. It may include mending, embroidery, knitting, crocheting. Sometimes the Sisters spend their recreation time outside. They created an outdoor board game using their courtyard sidewalk. During the winter, the young sisters occasionally make a hill on the property to sled. In the summer, they can pick rhubarb and raspberries.
8:15 P.M. The last hour of the Liturgy of the Hours, Night Prayer is chanted. After it is finished, the Great Silence begins and the sisters retire to their cell, their private oratory, to converse with the Beloved.
10:00 P.M. The day ends, the lights go out and the Sisters in the Heart of Christ gain strength for a new day.
The monastic horarium (daily schedule) aids in the search for God. The sisters’ entire day is a seeking for God, finding Him and seeking Him all the more.
Visitors
Visitors are welcome to Visitation Monestary’s Chapel for Mass or special events, such as their annual Novena to the Sacred Heart. The Visitation Sisters remain on the other side of a grille. Similarly, when family and friends visit them, a low wall separates them.
It seems radical, certainly counter-cultural, to give up wealth and freedom for a simple life dedicated to prayer. But their profound joy is obvious. “It radiates beyond their walls,” Anne Goetze, an artist who has spent time with the Visitation Sisters, remarked. Her Aunt Helen was a cloistered Visitation Sister in Annecy, France, and visits are what inspired Goetze. It’s given her a mission to share awareness about the Visitation Sisters using her talent as an artist.
Her Pray to Love exhibit, which was in Toledo in 2018, featured breathtaking multimedia artwork that gave a glimpse of life behind the monastery walls. She is working on another project – a film – sharing the stories of the sisters. Goetze said, “The charism and spirit of the women of the Visitation Order has not only seeped into my heart but also into my work as an artist. It is a reflection of their beauty as they live their mottos, ‘To be a gentle presence in a violent world’ and to ‘Live Jesus.’ I find much peace in that for my life, strength to persevere and the joy that is found in simplicity, especially in our culture today of fast pace and high tech. Their lives are dedicated to praying for this world…the power that reaches far beyond any walls. What a gift.”
Jubilee Granted
The Visitation Order was granted a Jubilee Year for the 100th anniversary of the canonization of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, who was a Visitation sister. Visitors were granted a plenary indulgence when they visited a chapel of any Visitation Monastery from August 12, 2020, the Solemnity of Saint Jane de Chantal to October 16, 2020, the Feast of Saint Margaret Mary, or on the First Friday of each month.