Thinking about orders, charisms and ways of contemplative worship, St Jane de Chantel’s efforts aligned with St Francis de Sales arose to prominence. Reflective examining, here are some ideas detailing the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary.

The order accepted women who were rejected by other orders because of poor health or age.  Elder women were welcomed.

The Visitation Order was founded almost 400 years ago in Annecy, France, by Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane de Chantal. It is a cloistered order, committed to an apostolate of prayer and characterized by a spirit of humility and gentleness. There are no severe corporal penances such as fasts, long periods of prayer at night, sleeping on boards, and so forth. Because of the lack of external austerities, a greater emphasis is placed upon purity of intention, charity, patience, and control of one’s inclinations, self-will, and feelings. It is a life “hidden with Christ in God” and quite ordinary in the eyes of men. –From the Visitation Monastery in Alabama website.

The Monasteries of the Order of the Visitation are dedicated to a life of prayer and sacrifice in the Church for the people of God and for the glory of God….In founding the Visitation Order, St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal wished to offer to women of their day an opportunity to consecrate their lives to God by embracing a fervent life of poverty, chastity and obedience in a loving community. They developed the Visitation Way of life which emphasized interior transformation into growing more and more each day into the image of our Savior, rather than external austerities that were prevalent in religious orders during their time. Knowing so well the unconditional love of God, the Founders wished the sisters to form a community of love in which they would embrace fidelity to the two-fold commandment of love of God and love of neighbor, faithfully living the Constitutions and Spiritual Directory of their Order and lovingly practicing their CHARISM of profound humility toward God and great gentleness toward the neighbor.  —-From the Visitation Monastery in Washington DC website.

– See more at: http://visitationgallerycommunity.org/#sthash.W8rGUujR.dpuf

The best known saint of the Visitation Order is St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who received the revelations of the Sacred Heart.