A message from Salesian Life and Campus Ministry:

When Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane de Chantal established the Visitation Order in 1610, Saint Francis created a direct connection to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in his design of the Order’s coat of arms. Saint Francis said to Saint Jane De Chantal:

“I thought we ought to take as our arms, a heart pierced by two arrows, enclosed in a crown of thorns, this heart serving as a setting to a cross which will rise from there, and will be inscribed with the Sacred names of Jesus and Mary….Truly our little Congregation is a work of the hearts of Jesus and Mary. The dying Savior gave birth to us through the wound of His Sacred Heart.”

Although reverence for the Sacred Heart has existed since Christ was crucified, the practice was considered a personal devotion. Choosing a Sacred Heart image for the Order’s crest, Francis and Jane founded their new “work of hearts” community with the motto “Live + Jesus”, and instilled the charism in the hearts of the Visitation Sisters. In this spirit, living Jesus is carried out in ordinary works and daily tasks, done with great heart, and great love.

In the late 17th Century as the Visitation order was growing, a young Visitation nun in Paray-le-Monial, France, was instrumental in expanding the holy devotion to the Sacred Heart. Through revelations and visions of Jesus asking her to help make His love known, Margaret Mary Alacoque, VHM, fostered the devotion to Christ’s Divine Heart. Her practices of the “little virtues,” especially humility, charity and patience, when many had doubts of her vocation, and visions, helped her endure the suffering she encountered on her path to sainthood. Along with a renewal to making Christ’s love known through the Sacred Heart, Margaret Mary brought about a new focus of the observance of Eucharistic Adoration and Mass on the first Friday of each month.

This past June, on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the U.S. Catholic Bishops consecrated the nation to the Sacred Heart in honor of the 250th founding of our country. A special jubilee was celebrated from December 2023 to June 2025, marking the 350th anniversary of Saint Margaret Mary’s visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. These celebrations are continued invitations for us to keep our hearts open to the Heart of Jesus and respond with love.

Eucharistic Adoration and First Friday Mass are traditions the Visitation Sisters continue in their communities. Visitation School honors this tradition during the school year. Due to the Labor Day long weekend, we will offer the first Eucharistic Adoration opportunity of the school year on Friday, September 11.

Please sign up online to spend time with the Blessed Sacrament in the Visitation Chapel any time between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Father Stefano Colombo, our Chaplain, will also offer Daily Mass on Sept. 11 at 11:40 a.m. Sign up here.

If you will be joining us for Adoration or Mass, please use the school’s Heart entrance, sign in and obtain a visitor badge before proceeding to the Visitation Chapel.

Sacred Heart of Jesus
I adore you. I praise you. I bless you.
I love you with all the strength
And all the love in my heart.
But make my heart bigger.
And increase my love.
So that I may love you more.
This is the grace I ask of you.
O Sacred Heart.
For all the hearts that can love you.
–Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, VHM

Saint Francis de Sales, pray for us.
Saint Jane de Chantal, pray for us.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, pray for us

Live + Jesus!