Visitation Monastery of Minneapolis

You are Invited: The 5 Year Anniversary Party for St. Jane House!

Melissa — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:19:11 +0000

You are invited to at this open house and garden party celebrating 5 years of the St. Jane House! 5 Year Anniversary Party Sunday, June 9, 2013 1-4pm 1403 Emerson Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55411 At 2pm, there will be a brief program which will include the unveiling of an new painting of St. Jane de Chantal by Brother Mickey McGrath commissioned [...]

“Keeping God at the Center” – Welcome Vis Companion Phil Soucheray to the Blog!

VizMonastery — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:41:24 +0000

Hi there. My name is Phil. I’m a Vis Companion, which is another way of saying that I am a purpose driven life wanna-be who knows he has a lot to learn before he’s fulfilled his potential. As it happens, I believe the model of Salesian spirituality as displayed and taught by the sisters of the Visitation [...]

On Suffering: Finding Comfort in Community

Melissa — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:23:51 +0000

by Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde, Visitation Companion I hurt my eye. After thirty years of wearing contacts, it got dry. It turned red. It really started to ache — so I went in to the eye doctor and she informed me that the surface looked like the equivalent of a “dry, cracked and bleeding hand.” She immediately instructed [...]

“Woman, why are you crying?” Easter Season Contemplations

Melissa — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:53:33 +0000

by Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde, Visitation Companion “Mommy, why are you crying?” I was sitting on the steps of my almost-three-year-old’s daycare provider’s house. I thought I had planned enough time for this transition in our day. I had risen early for my once-a-month- massage appointment. I had left the house early and snuck back in, all peace and [...]

Entering Holy Week through Imaginative Prayer

Melissa — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:53:14 +0000

by Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde, Visitation Companion I keep seeing his feet. The calloused edges of Jesus’ heels, the dark brown of his skin exposed through his sandals. I imagine the way the perfumed oil must soften the leathered texture of his soles, and my own heart cracks open in the process. It is Mary, sister to Martha [...]

Our New Pope: Washing the Feet of Young Inmates on Holy Thursday

Melissa — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:59:31 +0000

by Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde, Visitation Companion We have a new pope. His name is Francisco, or Francis. The Argentinian Jesuit took his name after St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Francis Xavier, one of his founding Jesuit predecessors. (And might I stretch his Francis’ inspirations to include – *ahem* – our co-founder, St. Francis de Sales?) I [...]

Snapshots from the Sisters: Title this!

Melissa — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:45:49 +0000

Photo by S. Mary Mao We had a very colorful St. Patrick’s Day Mass! We welcome your caption ideas for the photo below. See the entire album of images at: St. Patrick’s Day 2013

Building Bridges from Suburb to City

VizMonastery — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:06:37 +0000

by Sr. Mary Frances Reis, VHM Here are a few photos from our absolutely graced time with the Families of St. Thomas Becket parish family in Eagan and our North Minneapolis families. They arrived Sunday, March 10, 2013, with a U-Haul truck filled with 75 family Easter baskets for our families. Some baskets were delivered by Vis [...]

On Contemplative Presence: A Wendell Berry Poem

Melissa — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:06:52 +0000

by Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde, Visitation Companion “Contemplative Presence is a vivacious stability founded in the “movement without motion,” named in the Book of Wisdom and described by St. Francis de Sales as devotion. This presence carries our charism, and therefore, conversion which we know as humility, seeking truth, before God and great gentleness, non-violence, in relation to [...]

The Gift of Neighboring: Our Salesian Spirituality Center

VizMonastery — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:11:02 +0000

By S. Mary Margaret McKenzie in collaboration with Brian Mogren Five years ago in our long range planning we envisioned a third house. This was inspired by our need to respond to many persons who were drawn to enter into our neighborhood ministry more than into our monastic lifestyle. This would be their house more than [...]