It was in the year 1799, on a hill overlooking the Potomac River in the bustling port of Georgetown that three "Pious Ladies" - Alice Lalor, Maria McDermott and Maria Sharpe - settled in a small house on a piece of land adjacent to Georgetown College. Father Leonard Neale, president of the college, was the spiritual director for these three women, who were united in their desire to consecrate their lives to God in a special way and to dedicate themselves to the education of young women in the Catholic tradition.

The first members of the community followed the Jesuit rule; it was not until 1816 that they were formally professed as Sisters of the Visitation, a privilege which Archbishop Neale had obtained for them from Rome.

"How," one might ask, "did these three Irish women learn of the French Order founded by St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal in early seventeenth century France?" In 1799 there were no Visitation sisters in the New World who could serve as foundresses of the Visitation on this continent. As a matter of fact, even the French Visitation monasteries were forced to disband during the French Revolution, but Alice Lalor and her companions had been deeply affected by the works of Francis de Sales. In The Introduction to the Devout Life, they found the spirit they could identify as their own...a spirit of liberty, flexibility, optimism, simplicity and a common sense approach to life.

From the earliest days, these faith-filled women strove to live the spirit of the Visitation fully, while also serving the needs of the American Church through their ministry of education. In a unique manner, the life and spirit of the Visitation Sisters has permeated all aspects of school life right up to the present day.

In the early 1800's Father Joseph Picot de Cloriviere, the second founder of the monastery and a well-educated Frenchman, contributed to the success of the "Georgetown Academy for Young Ladies" as well as the free school for the poor which the sisters sponsored. He trained the sisters to be teachers, strengthened the curriculum and used his patrimony to build a more substantial school building. In 1821 his patrimony also helped to build the present chapel.

The Convent Annals give statistics concerning the rapid growth of the Visitation community and student body. In 1828 there were 45 sisters, a number that increased to 53 by 1830. At the same time, there were almost 150 pupils in the Academy and another 100 in the St. Joseph "Poor School." Such numbers dictated a building program at home and new foundations of the Visitation in Mobile, Alabama and St. Louis, Missouri.

A new monastery was built in 1832 and the academic building, which was eventually destroyed by fire in 1993, was completed in 1873. The "wash house," now the Lodge, was built in 1891 and the brick barn, now a beautifully transformed library, was finished in 1895.

The various patterns of life represented at Georgetown Visitation during its first century continued to grow throughout its second century. As the school continued to increase in numbers in the second half of the twentieth century, however, the number of sisters has decreased.

In reflecting upon the peaks and valleys in the long history of our monastery and school, we see one predominant thread which has sustained our community through periods of war, civil strife, fire, and depression, as well as in times of prosperity. This thread is a real sense of God's guiding providence. We, as a community, have rested in that providence and trusted in its direction for over 200 years. This is the firm base upon which Visitation was founded, it is the base that has led us through the vicissitudes of times, and it is the base upon which we shall continue to operate in the future. This is our firm belief. As we face the future, our hearts are filled with faith and hope in the God who has brought us thus far, with loving gratitude for the support offered by our many friends and with appreciation for the devoted service of our lay colleagues.

On July 8, 1993 this faith of the community and our lay associates was sorely tested when a catastrophic fire destroyed the interior of the 120 year old Academy building. When the demolition of what had not collapsed was finished, only the four perimeter walls were left standing. Helped immeasurably by the outpouring of concern and support of the entire Visitation family, the building was replaced within a two year span and stands today as Founders Hall.

October, 1998 marked the end of construction on campus and the school's bicentennial celebration was initiated with a Mass of Thanksgiving and the dedication of a new Sarah and Charles T. Fisher Athletic Center and the Catherine E. Nolan Performing Arts Center. The latter was an amazing transformation of the old gymnasium.

June 24, 1999, the actual date of our foundation, saw Visitation sisters from all over the country converging on our campus for a symposium which celebrated the history of Georgetown Visitation, but also the powerful presence of the Visitation Order throughout the United States.

Enriched by all that has gone before and conscious of our responsibility to carry the Salesian traditions into the third century of our existence, we, as a community, stand with doors wide open to welcome women who wish to share our life of contemplative prayer and to experience the gentle strength and vision that are so integral a part of our Visitation charism. Georgetown Visitation's special gift to the church and to the world is to become a center of gentleness in face of the violence which penetrates our world today. This we strive to do by "Living Jesus," the motto of the Visitation Order, and by imitating Mary's readiness to rise with alacrity to serve the needs of her cousin Elizabeth. This gospel picture of "women giving and receiving" is our inspiration.