The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary’s month of May draws to a close with the Feast of the Visitation. This feast celebrates the visit of Mary, pregnant with Jesus, to her cousin Elizabeth, pregnant with John the Baptist (Luke 1:39-56).

So this feast is a celebration of the very first Christian community, consisting of two pregnant mothers and their unborn children.

Saint Luke’s account culminates in one of the great New Testament canticles, Mary’s Magnificat, which we recite at Vespers every day:

MAGNIFICAT ánima mea Dóminum, et exsultávit spíritus meus in Deo salvatóre meo, quia respéxit humilitátem ancíllæ suæ. Ecce enim ex hoc beátam me dicent omnes generatiónes, quia fecit mihi magna, qui potens est, et sanctum nomen eius, et misericórdia eius in progénies et progénies timéntibus eum. Fecit poténtiam in bráchio suo, dispérsit supérbos mente cordis sui; depósuit poténtes de sede et exaltávit húmiles. Esuriéntes implévit bonis et dívites dimísit inánes. Suscépit Ísrael púerum suum, recordátus misericórdiæ, sicut locútus est ad patres nostros, Ábraham et sémini eius in sæcula. Glória Patri et Fílio et Spirítui Sancto. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc et semper, et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the LORD, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

I love this song.

Today’s feast also brings to mind for me my three years working for Visitation Catholic School as its marketing coordinator. Ultimately, my job was successful in that during my time we raised enrollment some 20%. Unfortunately, I was never able to convince the school’s new Principal that what we were doing was vital to the school, so I was let go in favour of a part-time bean counter. It’s my understanding that enrollment has dropped since.

It’s so irritating to me. I don’t see any reason why the Catholic schools in Pierce County shouldn’t be full to bursting – the demographics certainly support it. Most of the issue is lack of community presence and marketing. When I first started at VCS, I was finding parents who lived in the neighbourhood and wanted to send their child to Catholic school, but they didn’t even know the school was there.

So very frustrating. It’s not rocket science – go to community events where parents and children are: street fairs, park district events, Taste of Tacoma, Ethnic Fest, the farmers’ markets – and talk to parents. Advertise in parenting magazines. Have a consistent message and a consistent brand and present it everywhere.

That’s it. Full enrollment in five years. I guarantee it.

Unfortunately, there are still too many Catholic professionals who believe that they are managing a decline, so they never see the opportunities for explosive growth that exist. They can see the compost, but not the sprouting vines.

So this feast always reminds me of missed opportunities, mixed in with its true meaning.