The Sisters of the Visitation, a semi-cloistered contemplative community in Bay Ridge, are observing the canonization of Mother Teresa this weekend by remembering the visit she paid to Visitation Monastery in 1986.
There are only three sisters currently in the monastery who were present on that day. But the sisters maintain a chair that Mother Teresa sat in. It bears a metal tag with the inscription, “Mother Teresa Was Here, Jan. 3, 1986.”
At the time, Mother Marie Anatrella was the Superior of the Brooklyn Visitation community.
Mother Teresa was there because one of her sisters was making a retreat there and she came to speak with her, as her superior. Mother Marie took the opportunity to ask Mother Teresa to speak to the Visitation community in their library room.
As Mother Teresa was leaving, the students of Visitation Academy were being dismissed and they encountered the future saint. She presented each of them with religious medals.
The Sisters of the Visitation are asking that any students from that day post their memories at www.brooklynvisitationmonastery.org.