"We Welcome the Visitation Team with Joy"
The Sisters of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (click here to see the website) have been chosen by the Vatican Dicastery, The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, to be visited by an Apostolic Visitation “in order to look into the quality of the life” of women religious in the United States.
"We have been chosen because we are growing rapidly in vocations and because of the uniqueness of our charism," said Sr Anne Marie Walsh, SOLT, the General Sister Servant of the SOLT Sisters. "We welcome the visitation team with joy and ask you to pray for our sisters that we have a fruitful visit in this time."
According to Mother Clare Millea, ASCJ, appointed the Apostolic Visitator, "the purpose of the Apostolic Visitation in the United is:
• look into the quality of the life of apostolic women religious in the United States,
• learn more about the varied and unique ways in which women religious contribute to the welfare of the Church and society, and
• assist the Church to strengthen, enhance and support the growth of the more than 400 congregations to which the approximately 59,000 women religious in the United States belong."
The secular media has widely misunderstood this visit as an act of mistrust by the Vatican. The visitation teams continue to uphold the great respect and confidence in Institutes of Religious Women in the United States in a cordial atmosphere of openness and dialogue, which can be attested to by the testimonials of those visited (Click here to read some).
In an interview on Vatican Radio Franc Cardinal Rodé, head of the Vatican Dicastery which ordered the Visitation said, "This apostolic visitation hopes to encourage vocations and assure a better future for women religious."
Consecrated Spouses of Christ live in the shade of the Tree of the Cross and the beauty of obedience, the refreshing streams of grace that it brings, will only further inspire the SOLT Sisters to holiness and deeper communion in the Church. Any time the Church authorities, or their legitimately appointed representatives draw near, there cannot help but be an increase in charity, truth, and the mysterious healing that happens when a woman submits herself to God.
How grateful indeed the community of Our Lady of Corpus Christi is to host such an event. Please join us in praying for its success.
If you or someone you know might have a vocation to be a consecrated spouse of Christ, please contact the SOLT Sisters' Vocation Directress, Sr. Mary Emmanuel Schmidt, SOLT.
