About Viz
Our History

St. Louis Visitation Archives

Collect. Preserve. Share.

Our holdings include over 600 linear feet of documents, photographs, paintings, and artifacts associated with St. Louis Visitation Monastery and Visitation Academy from 1833 to the present. We also have materials associated with Rock Island Visitation Monastery and school, Villa de Chantal, from 1853 to 1992. Not only do the materials tell the history of Visitation Monastery and Academy, but also provides a glimpse into local, national, and world history from the Sisters arrival in St. Louis from the 19th century to the present.

Mission Statement
 
Mission Statement:  
The mission of the St. Louis Visitation Archives is to collect, preserve, and make available the historical documents and the rare and unique items associated with the St. Louis Monastery of the Visitation and Visitation Academy. As an integral part of the Visitation Heart and Mind Ministry, (VHMM), the St. Louis Visitation Archives seeks to further the mission of the VHMM by providing a welcoming space, programs, and resources to support and enrich the unique Visitation Catholic and Salesian spirituality within Visitation Academy.    
  
In order to achieve this mission, the archive:  
  • Actively collects and preserves documents and unique items relating to the St. Louis Sisters of the Visitation, Visitation Monastery, and Visitation Academy.  
  • Collaborates and engages with Sisters, alumnae, students, faculty, and staff at Visitation Academy.  
  • Provides exhibits and displays within the school to showcase the history of the monastery and school.  

In the summer of 2018, the archives moved into a state-of-the-art facility which includes archive storage, work area, and reading room for researchers. To make a research request, donate materials, or learn more about the various items found within St. Louis Visitation Archives, contact our archivist Amanda Gesiorski directly at agesiorski@vizstl.org or 314-625-9235.
3020 N. Ballas Road, St. Louis, MO 63131        314-625-9100
Visitation Academy is an independent, private Catholic school offering a coeducational Montessori preschool and Kindergarten program, the area's only all-girl elementary program for Grades 1-5, and an all-girl middle school and all-girl high school.
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