History of the Sisters

The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary was founded on June 6, 1610 in Annecy , France (then Savoy), by Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane de Chantal. The Order was founded “to give to God daughters of prayer, and souls so interior that they may be found worthy to serve His infinite Majesty and to adore Him in spirit and in truth.” (St. Francis de Sales)
Visitation Sisters are cloistered, contemplative religious who are dedicated to a life of prayer and of living in community. The Liturgy of the Hours is sung five times each day and two hours of mental prayer and spiritual reading are also prescribed. 

For almost four centuries (1610 – 2004) Visitation Sisters throughout the world have striven to live the Gospel of Jesus in accordance with the spirit of their Founders. Saint Francis and Saint Jane wanted their daughters to have a spirit “which seeks only God and tends continually to union with Him.” They taught the Visitation Sisters to live in a spirit “of profound humility toward God and of great gentleness toward the neighbor.” Moreover, the rule that they gave the Sisters does not emphasize external austerity. The Sisters were to make up for the lack of external penances by interior renunciations, great simplicity and joy in the common life.