Inside the Cloister
Monastery of the Visitation Sisters in Annecy, France
During my visit to Annecy, France, I was given the unusual privilege of visiting the cloistered community of the Sisters of the Visitation, founded by St. Francis and St. Jane de Chantal. While there, I interviewed Sr. Clare Chantal. Learning about Sr. Clare was just the beginning of what I took away from my visit.
Entering the cloister felt as though I were entering a whole new world—one intentionally separate from, yet still linked, to the activity and life outside its walls. As expected, the monastery was quiet and simple. There were no grand displays or unnecessary comforts, and the spaces reflected a life centered not on possessions or achievement, but on prayer, community, and service.
As someone whose days are often packed with Zoom meetings, deadlines, coordinating family plans, and problem-solving, I was struck by the contrast and similarities of our experiences. My life is a checklist, focused on what work must be done next. The Visitation Sisters also accomplish much, but they follow a different rhythm. Modeling the lesson Francis and Jane taught, they strive to live in the present moment. Their days are structured around prayer, work, silence, and life together. Each with a different work assignment (ministry), they are productive but in a calm, balanced way. There is a tranquil aspect of their interdependence that I found myself quite drawn to.
At first, it’s easy to think of a cloister as a place where women withdraw from the world. My visit helped me understand it differently. The sisters are not ignoring the world. They are not hiding from it. Rather, they are praying for it.
Thousands of people come to visit the Basilica of the Visitation, located on the Cret du Maure hill overlooking the town and Lake Annecy. Every day, visitors from around the world make prayer requests of the Sisters. The Visitandines carry the needs and suffering of these people, and countless others they may never meet, into their daily prayer. They consider this their true calling.
There was something both challenging and beautiful about witnessing women who had placed their entire lives in God’s hands. The Sisters have freely chosen a life with limits that most of us would find difficult. I couldn’t imagine living that life, and yet, I do see its goodness - a shared mission of prayer and care for others, the warmth of being surrounded by people who love, a true sense of purpose, and a faith that offers confidence and certainty in the power of trusting in God. Repeatedly during my interview with Sr. Clare, she reminded me of the importance of “letting go and letting God.”
“In prayer, more is accomplished by listening than by talking.”
The Sisters’ commitment to prayer and the joy with which they experience it have remained with me since I left France. They reminded me that prayer was another way of letting go to God. Each day the Sisters pray for the intentions of those who visit the Basilica, countless other prayer intentions, and for the people of the world. How wonderful and beautiful to pray for those you do not know. Their prayer is their work. Prayer is powerful, meaningful work that I too can do, both for those I love and those I will never know.
Walking through the monastery, I wondered what St. Jane would think of the community today. Would she recognize the rhythm of prayer, the simplicity of the rooms, and the quiet strength of the Sisters? Would she feel her dream for the Visitation Order fulfilled, a difference made? I believe she would.
The lives of the Sisters raised questions about my own life that I didn’t want to ignore. Do I create enough space for silence? Do I really trust in the power of prayer? Can I step away from constant activity long enough to listen for God? How can I let go more?
As I flew home, I knew I would seek answers to these questions, and I would not soon forget what I learned there - that a quiet life does not mean an insignificant life.
Sometimes the work that changes the world is work the world never sees.
Paula M. Riley
Oblates Communication Team