30 April 2013

Sisters' Dinner at the Jesuit Residence, Part 7 of 7

The Visitation Sisters were guests of Georgetown University's Jesuit Community at Wolfington Hall on Monday, April 15. From April 24-30 we'll post photos from the event.


29 April 2013

Sisters' Dinner at the Jesuit Residence, Part 6 of 7

The Visitation Sisters were guests of Georgetown University's Jesuit Community at Wolfington Hall on Monday, April 15. From April 24-30 we'll post photos from the event.

Cute Catholic meme

From http://www.catholicmemes.com/success-kid/did-you-just-say-and-also-with-you/:

28 April 2013

Sisters' Dinner at the Jesuit Residence, Part 5 of 7

The Visitation Sisters were guests of Georgetown University's Jesuit Community at Wolfington Hall on Monday, April 15. From April 24-30 we'll post photos from the event.

Angels in the sky

Taken in Florida after announcement of Pope Francis
Taken from: http://pinterest.com/pin/569986896559342302/


Sr. Mary Roberta Viano, VHM

Antiphon for Morning Prayer on the 4th Saturday of Easter

Live + Jesus!

"God loved the world so much that He gave us his only Son"

Francis de Sales held that, even if we had never committed the original sin, Jesus would have come down to earth anyway, because He loves us and enjoys our company. He said it Himself:

"My delight is to be with the Children of Men."

He walks among usl, but we seldom recognize Him. He is present in the people around us, the world and the good that it holds.

The spirit of the Lord lives within each of us, the source of our life's breath. When we listen and when we speak, God is speaking and listening too.

He loves us. He delights in our presence. He became one of us, with all the pains and sorrows and regrets that entails. He tells us that we bring Him more joy, even in our sin and struggles, than pain.

He tells us that we are worth dying for.


May God be praised!

Sr. Mada-anne Gell, VHM

27 April 2013

Sisters' Dinner at the Jesuit Residence, Part 4 of 7

The Visitation Sisters were guests of Georgetown University's Jesuit Community at Wolfington Hall on Monday, April 15. From April 24-30 we'll post photos from the event.


A Truly Faithful Visitation Sister

As we bid a final farewell to our dear Sister Josephine who left us in a hurry yesterday to meet her loving God, our thoughts are filled with the beauty of her life - a life which mirrored our Salesian virtues in so many different ways.

Sister possessed the virtues of humility and gentleness to perfection. Her simplicity in meeting the events of each day was refreshing while her genuine acceptance of God's will in the challenges of her life inspired us all. She was not one to complain; on the contrary she always expressed a lovely spirit of gratitude.

Perhaps her greatest gift was her selfless and loving care of one of her Sisters in Parkersburg; a Sister whose physical condition demanded a tremendous amount of support. Sister Josephine was always at her side and gave of herself unstintingly as she ministered to her Sister until her friend's final days.

One of the graces of living in community life is the joy of experiencing the everyday holiness of our Sisters. Our gratitude for the example Sister Josephine offered us of the power of holy living will long remain with us.

Requiescat in pace, dear Sister!


Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

Angels Around Us

Make yourself familiar with the angels, and behold them frequently in spirit for without being seen, they are present with you.

-St. Francis de Sales


Sr. Mary Roberta Viano, VHM

26 April 2013

Sisters' Dinner at the Jesuit Residence, Part 3 of 7

The Visitation Sisters were guests of Georgetown University's Jesuit Community at Wolfington Hall on Monday, April 15. From April 24-30 we'll post photos from the event.


25 April 2013

Passing of a Gentle Soul

Sr. Mary Josephine DiBiase, VHM, died this morning on the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. Below is a photograph of her with Sr. Rose Wangui. She was 83.

She originally entered the Monastery here in Georgetown, but later moved to our house in Wheeling, West Virginia. After that closed, she and the other Wheeling sisters returned to us in Georgetown. She taught elementary school for many years.

Watch for new intrusions

Another Salesian Principle for Holy Living has to include an important element:

Strive for Balance
and Moderation

In this age of texting, tweeting, emailing, voice mailing, etc. etc.it is easy to allow these new "toys" to intrude into our lives, especially in our personal social relations with friends. I use the word "intrude" purposely because I think it is quite easy to become addicted to these social media and this can create an imbalance in our lives.

Perhaps if St. Francis de Sales were with us today he would caution, "Salt and sugar are both excellent things, but too much of either will spoil the dish."

May we discover helpful ways to introduce balance and moderation into our lives!

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

Sisters' Dinner at the Jesuit Residence, Part 2 of 7

The Visitation Sisters were guests of Georgetown University's Jesuit Community at Wolfington Hall on Monday, April 15. From April 24-30 we'll post photos from the event.


24 April 2013

Sisters' Dinner at the Jesuit Residence, Part 1 of 7

The Visitation Sisters were guests of Georgetown University's Jesuit Community at Wolfington Hall on Monday, April 15. From April 24-30 we'll post photos from the event.







Live in the Present Moment

Here is another important hint for Holy Living in the Salesian Tradition:

Live in The Present Moment:

St. Francis de Sales offers us this helpful advice: "Leave the past to God's mercy, the future to his Divine Providence and embrace the present willingly and lovingly."

It can be very futile to dwell on the past and even more so to worry about the future. The Romans expressed it well: "Carpe Diem!" Live today well.

Living in the present moment is an important element in Salesian spirituality which encourages us to concentrate on the gifts or challenges of the present and accept them as coming from the loving hand of God - no matter how indirectly. Use them well to grow in holiness!
Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

23 April 2013

Gentleness and Humility

Today let's listen to Father John Fisher, an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales, as he speaks of the beauty of the virtues of gentleness and humility.

To be humble is to live in the truth of who we are in the sight of God. Name your weaknesses; name your strengths; most of all name your need for God's love, mercy, forgiveness and justice. "Sometimes," says St. Francis de Sales,  "we so occupy ourselves with trying to live like angels that we neglect to be good men and women."

"Be gentle: live in the truth of who you are in relation to yourself and others. Put yourself in others' shoes. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Powerful is St. Francis de Sales' insight: "Nothing is so strong as gentleness; nothing so gentle as real strength."

May your day be filled with gentle strength!

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

22 April 2013

After Alumnae Weekend

This past weekend we welcomed close to 400 alumnae back to our lovely campus. This is always a wonderful weekend as we meet and greet our alums from as far back as 75 years since graduation.

One of our alums who came back from Boston to celebrate her 65th anniversary of graduation - hard to believe it has been that long - sent a lovely thank you note mentioning how great it was to hear younger young alumnae express admiration for the values which have remained with her for these 65 years.

I gave a little day of reflection for about 40 alumnae on Ten Qualities for Holy Living in the Salesian Tradition. I will share some of these key points with you this week - a few at a time.

Here is a great one: "roll with the punches!:" Pick your battles, Be steadfast on principle but flexible in detail, "Blessed are the hearts that bend", observes St. Francis de Sales, "for they shall never be broken."

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

18 April 2013

Imitators of Jesus

An article in the January 7-14, 2013 issue of America magazine predates the election of our outstanding, humble, Holy Father, Pope Francis, a Jesuit himself.  I wanted to share Fr. Walter Ciszek, S.J., with you as my inspiration, like Pope Francis – both of whom are imitators of Jesus – loving, reaching out to the disenfranchised.  For Fr. Ciszek, this meant prisoners in Russia . . . it meant suffering with them, himself.  Please know both saintly men – one in Heaven, the other on earth at this time – are holding us all in the Lord Jesus’ Heart and Hands – in His Risen Blessing of us, born of His dying for us!  The article can be found at:   http://americamagazine.org/issue/article/chained-free

Mother Jacqueline

14 April 2013

Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening

“God has drawn you out of this nothing to make you what you are, merely out of his own pure goodness, since He has no need of you whatsoever.” St. Francis de Sales

Am I presumptuous to claim God does have a need for me? Not a “need” as we humans understand the word. But I believe He has a work has chosen from all eternity for each of us. Only the individual person knows it is.

Can he miss the “call” altogether? Of course! For some of us it is a long time before we wake up to what He is asking - so many things crowd into our lives. We become attached to the “World,” whatever that may be.

Speak Lord, show me the way, Your way. What is He saying? Is He saying “I want all of you”?

I think of Joan of Arc - called totally out of her serene life into battle, fighting, ultimately dying on the stake.

How many holy people are called to be of “use” for God? Who followed His inner calling: Dorothy Day, St. Louis (king and crusader), Caryll Houslander, Kateri Tekawitha, St. Rose of Lima.

These are known saints who answered God’s call. How many have said and are saying “yes” to God asking? “Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening.”


Sr. Eleanor May Klaber, VHM

13 April 2013

Spring blossoms at Visitation

Visitation sophomore Catherine Mary Barr took this photo on our grounds.

"We get to see God’s artistic talents each day as our campus is in full bloom!  Here is a picture right outside Founder’s Hall."

Beloved beyond all measure

Make yourself familiar with the angels, and behold them frequently in spirit; for without being seen they are present with you - St. Francis de Sales

So I am with you always means when you look for God, God is in the back of your eyes, in the thought of locking, nearer to you than yourself, or things that have happened to you.

Nothing or no one is more beautiful than I, since God - beauty itself - has fallen in love with me.

Ask God for the gift of seeing yourself as God sees you - beloved beyond all measure.

Love means showing the other how beautiful he or she is. The other person cannot discover this alone; even a mirror will not suffice. Another human being is needed. Where that happens, love is realized.

Reflection by Sister Eleanor May Klaber VHM

09 April 2013

Thoughts for the Day and Week from St. Francis de Sales

Helpful Salesian Hints for Living in The Present Moment

1. Don't let the past drag you down. Develop short memories.
2. Don't fear the future.
3. Be a doer, and not a worrier. Don't let boredom reign in life.
4. Be appreciative. Show gratitude often.
5. Overlook flaws; see the big picture.
6. Pick the virtue you need now, and practice it!
7. Look to faith for answers when everything else fails!
8. Bury the hatchet about your past. Start over again.
9. Get some fresh air!
10. Laugh at yourself.

St. Francis de Sales


Sr. Eleanor May Klaber, VHM

08 April 2013

Thoughts for the Day and Week from St. Francis de Sales

I do not see anything in the world that can more rightly be called our own and over which we have so much power as the food that we consume to keep our body alive, and Our Lord went so far as this excess of love, making Himself our food. And what should not our response be, so that He may possess us, shape and consume us, fashioning us according to his liking?

St. Francis de Sales

Sr. Eleanor May Klaber, VHM

02 April 2013

There is one life

These are words of Fr. John Tauler, OP (died 1361) that really made me stop and think:
Out of death comes life that dies no more. There is no true and undying life in us except the life that comes forth from death. If water is to become hot, then cold must die out of it. If wood is to be made fire, then the nature of wood must die. The life we seek cannot be in us, it cannot become our very selves, we cannot be itself, unless we gain it by first ceasing to be what we are; we acquire this life through death.

In very truth there is rightly speaking, but one death and one life. However many deaths there may seem to be, they all are but one, namely, the death a man dies to his own will, to his sense of proprietorship, to division and multiplicity and activity - in so far as this is possible to a creature. And there is one life, and only one, namely, the one ineffable, incomprehensible, uncreated, essential, divine life. Toward this life all other life hurries on, is driven forward, streams along, being irresistibly drawn to possess it. The nearer our life comes to this essential life, and the more it is likened to it, the more truly do we live, for in this and from this life is all life.


Sr. Mary Roberta Viano, VHM