LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending the Sisters of the Visitation of Holy
Mary upon the occasion of celebrating its 400th Anniversary on June 6,
2010

WHEREAS, The character and richness of religious and community life in
this noble Empire State is nourished and fulfilled through the faithful
concern and selfless devotion of those who would commit their energies
and purpose to the ministry of others; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
the Sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary upon the occasion of cele-
brating its 400th Anniversary at a Eucharistic Liturgy to be held on
Sunday, June 6, 2010, at the Sacred Heart Chapel Visitation Monastery,
Brooklyn, New York; and
WHEREAS, The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary was first estab-
lished on June 6, 1610, in Annecy, France, by St. Francis de Sales,
Bishop and subsequent Doctor of the Church and St. Jane de Chantal,
wife, mother, widow and religious foundress; and
WHEREAS, The Visitation of Holy Mary was canonically erected as a
monastic, contemplative Order with papal enclosure by Pope Paul V in
1618 and solemnly approved by Pope Urban III in 1626; and
WHEREAS, The Visitation's founder, St. Francis de Sales, was canonized
in 1665 and its foundress St. Jane de Chantal was canonized in 1767; St.
Francis de Sales was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1877 and his
two most famous works, Introduction to the Devout Life, and Treatise on
the Love of God, are still popular today; and
WHEREAS, The Visitation Order became the seedbed and promoter for the
popular devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the revelations
to the Visitandine St. Margaret Mary (1647-1690), who was canonized in
1920; and
WHEREAS, New congregations, like the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales
and Salesians of Don Bosco, who were influenced by the Visitation and
its Salesian spirituality, began to emerge in the 1800s; in addition,
associations for the laity were formed in the same spirit as the Visita-
tion, such as the Daughters of St. Francis de Sales; and
WHEREAS, Internationally, the Spanish Civil War in 1936 was the cause
of martyrdom of seven Spanish Visitandine Nuns, who were beatified in
Rome in 1998; and
WHEREAS, The Visitation Order has instructed and formed countless
young girls and youth throughout many countries by its educational
establishments of boarding schools and academies; and
WHEREAS, The heritage of the Visitation Order is being preserved in
the Museum of the Visitation in Moulins, France which first opened its
doors in 1992 and received the approval of the Holy See in 2005; the
Curator and Founder Monsieur Gerard Picaud has collected over 1000 piec-
es of Visitandine treasures to exhibit; and
WHEREAS, The first Monastery of the Visitation in the United States
was founded in Washington D.C. in 1799; the Visitation Order came to
Brooklyn in 1855 and settled in Bay Ridge in 1903, blending a full
monastic life with the education of young girls in Visitation Academy;
and
WHEREAS, Currently there are approximately 2500 Visitation Nuns world-
wide in 156 Monasteries; one of the newest Visitation Monasteries was
established in South Korea in 2001, and Africa is also seeing substan-
tial growth of the Visitation Order; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to bring full recog-
nition and just tribute to those individuals and organizations which

distinguish themselves through their unremitting commitment and service
to humanity; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is moved to commend the efforts of all
the Sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary, throughout the long and
enduring history of this noble congregation, who have devoted their
lives to the benevolent care of others and ministered to the sick with
an overwhelming spirit of charity and love; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend the Sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary upon the occasion of
celebrating its 400th Anniversary on June 6, 2010; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary.