The Visitation Salesian Network of Schools

Programs

Promoting the Visitation Charism in our school communities

“Lead those in your care with a kind and understanding heart and give them a holy liberty of spirit and remove from your mind and theirs, any unhealthy spirit of constraint.”  – Saint Francis de Sales

The Visitation Salesian Network ministries support the following goals:

  • To build a sisterhood across Visitation schools in order to deepen, nurture, and extend the Visitation Salesian charism: In unity there is strength. As representatives work together across the Visitation schools, VSN shares the growth and challenges to fortify each other in servicing the Schools to strengthen the unique Catholic identity and Salesian values.
  • To build relationships between Visitation schools. Through annual or periodic programs, the National VSN gathers school students and/or colleagues for:
    • Regular virtual and in-person VSN Representative meetings, rotating host schools
    • Annual, across schools, in-person Visitation Schools Leaders Meeting: For over 25 years, the VSN has annually convened Heads of Schools along with their companion leadership in the Federation Council, respective Monasteries and school Boards. This group has expanded over the years to include the roles of Sponsorship and Association of Christian Faithful (ACF) representatives as well as the Charism Directors from each school.
    • Virtual affinity group meetings of those with similar roles across Visitation Schools to encourage both professional sharing and collegiality particular to a unique mission as Catholic Salesian educators. 
  • To support the Salesian formation of Visitation Faculty, Staff, Administration, Board and other individuals within their school communities. The VSN has created a number of resources for furthering the Visitation charism in our school communities. Explore our resources.
  • VSN support of Salesian Summer Learning for Visitation Educators & Students: Knowing that much of Salesian Spirituality is not only taught, but caught, the Visitation Sisters and their lay colleagues have created summer programs to encourage students, faculty, and staff to grow in their understanding of how their faith, Salesian Spirituality, and relationships are life-transforming. These programs aim to create bonds both in their respective schools and across the Visitation network of schools.
    • VISTORY (Visitation in Service to Responsive Youth): Each summer, VISTORY invites our high school students to forge bonds of friendship between themselves and the people they encounter during an immersive week of sisterhood, Salesian Spirituality, and service in the host city, home to one of our VSN schools. One of the four year rotations of service is held in Camden, NJ, at DeSales Service Works in collaboration with the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.
    • SLC (Salesian Leadership Camp): Visitation Schools participation in this annual Oblate of St. Francis de Sales-sponsored summer program which trains school students leaders and their chaperones on bringing prayer and Salesian culture to their schools.
    • Pilgrimages: Summer student as well as Visitation School Faculty & Staff pilgrimages to Annecy, France, and other significant sites to the founding of the Visitation Order and the lives of St. Francis de Sales, St. Jane de Chantal, and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.