Photo by Terry Pickard 

SNELLVILLE—The Monastery of the Visitation celebrated the 50th anniversary of its relocation to Snellville on Oct. 7, inviting locals and clergy members to commemorate the 1974 move of the monastery to Gwinnett County.  

Home to 11 cloistered nuns of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, the monastery called “Maryfield” occupies 26 acres of land. The sisters resided in Atlanta from 1954 until their move to Snellville five decades ago. 

Msgr. Hugh Marren celebrated the jubilee Mass and mentioned in his homily that the milestone is a symbol of the Visitation Sisters’ bravery in expanding the community.  

“Jubilees celebrate accomplishments,” he said. “Coming out here to Snellville was a big leap of faith for your community, but your community itself always had great faith.”  

Concelebrants were Father Anthony Bonela, MSFS; Father Paul Burke, Father John Fallon, Father Tomy Joseph, MSFS; Father Piotr Stangricki, MS; and Father Cristian Cossio. Brother Nicholas Wolfla, delegate for religious for the archdiocese, also attended. 

The nuns sang the hymns together, delighting attendees with pleasant melodies. After the Mass, everyone gathered for a late lunch and heard stories about the monastery from the sisters.  

Mother Superior Teresa Maria Kulangara of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary welcomes guests to the anniversary Mass at the Snellville monastery. She called the celebration “an act of gratitude toward God.” Photo by Terry Pickard

When she entered the community in 2000, Mother Superior Teresa Maria Kulangara never thought she would be serving in her current position. Celebrating the 50th anniversary “is an act of gratitude toward God,” she said, and toward her supporters, including her parents, sisters, priests, educators and the benefactors of the monastery.  

“The 50th anniversary reminded us of the commitment that has been made and kept for so many years by the sisters who joined the Visitation Community,” she said. “Since we are the only cloistered contemplative nuns in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, the 70th anniversary in Atlanta and jubilee celebration in Snellville are significant milestones for our Visitation Community, as well as for the diocese.” 

The sisters celebrated 70 years in Georgia during a Mass in June.  

The Knights of Columbus, friends and supporters of the sisters, raised funds for the monastery in anticipation of the jubilee. Mother Teresa Maria said the sisters decided to use the donation for a new statue. At the celebration, their new Sacred Heart of Jesus statue was unveiled on the grounds.  

“The Sacred Heart of Jesus entrusted the Visitation sisters to promote the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” she said. “It is a very significant devotion to us.”  

Msgr. Hugh Marren blesses Visitation Sisters and guests with holy water, following the unveiling of a new statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the grounds of the Maryfield, the sisters’ monastery in Snellville. The statue was unveiled after a Mass to celebrate the order’s 50 years in Gwinnett County. Photo by Terry Pickard

The sisters dedicated the new statue to Msgr. Marren and to the Knights of Columbus Council 11402 from All Saints Church, Dunwoody.  

Though the Snellville home is a place of peace and quiet, the order’s history echoes resilience and courage. St. Jane Frances de Chantal was a baroness in 17th century France and founded the order when she was widowed at 28 with four children. St. Francis de Sales worked with St. Jane Frances to begin the religious community, formally known as the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary. 

Mother Francis de Sales Cassidy was foundress of the Georgia monastery. She is a native of Macon, but her journey as a religious originally started in Toledo, Ohio, where she and nine sisters of the order lived until 1954.  

Under the invitation of Bishop Francis Edward Hyland, with support from the Haverty family of Atlanta and others, the sisters departed Ohio and found a home in Atlanta. The original house was on Ponce de Leon Avenue in the Druid Hills neighborhood. Over the initial 20 years, as the number of sisters increased, so did the need for a larger space. The community decided to purchase land in Gwinnett County, where they constructed their current monastery in Snellville. 

A family of faith 

Mother Teresa Maria invited the descendants of Mother Francis de Sales to the jubilee celebration. Scattered around the building are statues dedicated to a long list of Cassidy family members.  

Ann Cassidy and Mark Gilday knew Mother Francis de Sales as their great aunt Maggie. Their grandfather was the mother superior’s younger brother.  

The descendants of the early supporters of the Visitation Sisters helped celebrate their recent jubilee anniversary. Guests at the 50th anniversary Mass on Oct. 7 included, from left to right, Lane and Tim Sheridan of Macon, Ann Cassidy and Mark Gilday. Mother Francis de Sales, foundress of the Georgia monastery, was their great aunt. Pictured with them are Sister Josefa Maria Chicoine, Sister Therese Gabrielle Rivera and Sister Lynn Scanlon. Photo by Terry Pickard

As she toured the monastery, Cassidy recalls visiting the Atlanta location as a little girl. Seeing the sisters now is an amazing experience, she said.  

“My father told me the story about his aunt when I was young, and he brought us to meet the cloistered nuns in Atlanta,” she said. “There’s so much more going on here than I thought. These women give their lives to this order. Their spirit is so wonderful and more passionate than I had imagined.”  

Gilday made sure to meet every nun. Over shared laughs and deep conversations, Gilday learned more about his family history, and hopes to pass the stories down to his children.  

“What my great aunt and grandfather did with the church is a very good example of our faith, and I don’t want that to be lost on the next generation,” he said.  

Tim Sheridan, a nephew of Sister Valentina Sheridan, was also in attendance. Sister Valentina of the Sisters of Mercy was Mother Francis de Sales’ niece.  

“We were delighted to see the family of our dear Mother Francis de Sales whose great desire, fidelity, determination and sacrifice brought the Visitation Order to Georgia,” Mother Teresa Maria said. “It reminded us that the Cassidy family members are not only the recipients of Mother Francis de Sales’ fruitful prayers, but that they were remembered by our community. Without the support of our dear mother’s family and the providence of God, the Visitation would not have been founded in Atlanta.”  

For 50 years, the cloistered nuns of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary have helped the outside world with their prayers. The sisters plan to continue their service and honor the legacy of their first mother superior.