Visitation Convent, Georgetown
Encyclopedia
The Visitation Convent, Georgetown is a nunnery of the Visitation Order, located in the District of Columbia, United States of America.
, Ireland, who sailed for this country in 1794 with her sister, Mrs. Doran, the wife of an American merchant. On the voyage she formed an intimacy with Mrs. Sharpe and Mrs. McDermott and, united in their vocation, they bought a small house in Philadelphia and began their community life under the direction of the Rev. Leonard Neale
, who had succeeded Rev. Lawrence Graessel and Rev. Francis Fleming, victims of the yellow fever
epdemic of 1793.
The return of the fever in 1797-8 broke up their house, and Father Neale having been made president of Georgetown College
invited them to settle in that place. Miss Lalor bought a small cottage near that of three French noblewomen of the Order of Poor Clares, who had escaped the revolutionary Terror
and hoped to found a house in the land of their asylum. Father Neale put the Congregation of the Pious Ladies, as they were called, under the Rule of St. Francis de Sales. His inspiration was to advance Catholic education.
The school was opened, 24 June 1799. The first pupil was Anna Smith, the first novice Sister Aloysia Neale. Their ranks were immediately recruited, their pupils multiplied, and in 1802 the school was developed into an academy. In 1804 the Poor Clares returned to France; Bishop Neale and his brother Father Francis bought their property, furniture, and books, and it was among the last that the Rules of the Visitation were discovered in 1812, after being vainly sought for years by the bishop, for Annecy
had been swept away in the Terror.
No enclosure was observed at first and the ladies were called Mistress or Madam until 1816 when Archbishop Neale obtained from Pope Pius VII
the Brief dated 14 July, which raised the community to the rank of a monastery. Solemn vows were taken, 28 Dec., 1816, by 30 choir sisters, 4 lay sisters, and 1 out sister. Father Beschter, formerly of the papal choir, instructed them in the chants of the office and the Visitandines of Chaillot sent them a model of the habit and silver crosses.
Six months later Archbishop Neale died, but he had appointed Father Cloriviere director of the community. He arrived on 13 January 1818 and devoted his life to his new charge. He sold his estate in Brittany
and gave the proceeds, as well as his French pension, to building a new chapel for the sisters. He asked and obtained from his friend Charles X of France
an altar-piece, and by every means in his power helped the sisters in their poor school - the first free school in the District of Columbia.
Mother Catharine Rigden broke ground for the chapel, the symbolic window of which was given by a lady in South Carolina. This was the first chapel of the Sacred Heart
in the United States. In 1819 the first prospectus was issued over the signatures of Mrs. Henrietta Brent, Mrs. Jerusha Barber, and Father Cloriviere; in 1823 a new academy was built, and in 1829 three European sisters arrived.
On 9 September 1846, Mother Teresa Lalor died, having seen her daughters established at Kaskaskia
, Mobile, St. Louis, Baltimore, and Brooklyn. In 1872-3 a new academy building was erected, and in 1899-1900, after a fire, this was enlarged.
Archbishop Neale, Father Cloriviere, Mother Teresa, Sister Joanna, Juana Maria de Iturbide, ex-Princess of Mexico; and the thirty original sisters are laid in the crypt of the chapel and buried in the walls of its foundations.
At Gen. Winfield Scott
's request the academy was exempted from seizure for hospital purposes during the American Civil War
. His daughter Virginia (Sister May Emmanuel), who was a Visitation nun, is buried in the cemetery.
History
This convent was founded by Alice Lalor, native of County KilkennyCounty Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
, Ireland, who sailed for this country in 1794 with her sister, Mrs. Doran, the wife of an American merchant. On the voyage she formed an intimacy with Mrs. Sharpe and Mrs. McDermott and, united in their vocation, they bought a small house in Philadelphia and began their community life under the direction of the Rev. Leonard Neale
Leonard Neale
Leonard Neale, S.J. became, in 1800, the first Roman Catholic bishop ordained in the United States, and the second Archbishop of Baltimore...
, who had succeeded Rev. Lawrence Graessel and Rev. Francis Fleming, victims of the yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
epdemic of 1793.
The return of the fever in 1797-8 broke up their house, and Father Neale having been made president of Georgetown College
Georgetown College (Georgetown University)
Georgetown College, infrequently Georgetown College of Arts and Sciences, is the oldest school within Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The College is the largest undergraduate school at Georgetown, and until the founding of the Medical School in 1850, was the only higher education division...
invited them to settle in that place. Miss Lalor bought a small cottage near that of three French noblewomen of the Order of Poor Clares, who had escaped the revolutionary Terror
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror , also known simply as The Terror , was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of...
and hoped to found a house in the land of their asylum. Father Neale put the Congregation of the Pious Ladies, as they were called, under the Rule of St. Francis de Sales. His inspiration was to advance Catholic education.
The school was opened, 24 June 1799. The first pupil was Anna Smith, the first novice Sister Aloysia Neale. Their ranks were immediately recruited, their pupils multiplied, and in 1802 the school was developed into an academy. In 1804 the Poor Clares returned to France; Bishop Neale and his brother Father Francis bought their property, furniture, and books, and it was among the last that the Rules of the Visitation were discovered in 1812, after being vainly sought for years by the bishop, for Annecy
Annecy
Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:...
had been swept away in the Terror.
No enclosure was observed at first and the ladies were called Mistress or Madam until 1816 when Archbishop Neale obtained from Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
the Brief dated 14 July, which raised the community to the rank of a monastery. Solemn vows were taken, 28 Dec., 1816, by 30 choir sisters, 4 lay sisters, and 1 out sister. Father Beschter, formerly of the papal choir, instructed them in the chants of the office and the Visitandines of Chaillot sent them a model of the habit and silver crosses.
Six months later Archbishop Neale died, but he had appointed Father Cloriviere director of the community. He arrived on 13 January 1818 and devoted his life to his new charge. He sold his estate in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
and gave the proceeds, as well as his French pension, to building a new chapel for the sisters. He asked and obtained from his friend Charles X of France
Charles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
an altar-piece, and by every means in his power helped the sisters in their poor school - the first free school in the District of Columbia.
Mother Catharine Rigden broke ground for the chapel, the symbolic window of which was given by a lady in South Carolina. This was the first chapel of the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
in the United States. In 1819 the first prospectus was issued over the signatures of Mrs. Henrietta Brent, Mrs. Jerusha Barber, and Father Cloriviere; in 1823 a new academy was built, and in 1829 three European sisters arrived.
On 9 September 1846, Mother Teresa Lalor died, having seen her daughters established at Kaskaskia
Kaskaskia
The Kaskaskia were one of about a dozen cognate tribes that made up the Illiniwek Confederation or Illinois Confederation. Their longstanding homeland was in the Great Lakes region...
, Mobile, St. Louis, Baltimore, and Brooklyn. In 1872-3 a new academy building was erected, and in 1899-1900, after a fire, this was enlarged.
Archbishop Neale, Father Cloriviere, Mother Teresa, Sister Joanna, Juana Maria de Iturbide, ex-Princess of Mexico; and the thirty original sisters are laid in the crypt of the chapel and buried in the walls of its foundations.
At Gen. Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
's request the academy was exempted from seizure for hospital purposes during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. His daughter Virginia (Sister May Emmanuel), who was a Visitation nun, is buried in the cemetery.