Unique, Diverse, & United

UNIQUE DIVERSE & UNITED

30

VISI.ORG

PHOTO BY SCOTT WEBB

In 2006, Visitation named diversity as one of its core strategic priorities, noting that “Visitation is committed to embracing socio-economic, ethnic, cultural, racial and academic diversity consistent with its mission as a Catholic college preparatory school.

The presence of diversity in our school community and a need for global awareness are necessary components of a well-rounded education. The school will focus on academic and co-curricular programs which increase student appreciation of these differences and awareness of social justice initiatives.”

SPRING 2021

31

Building on this work, in 2009, the Board of Trustees established a Philosophy of Community Culture:

BEYOND POLICY: A WAY OF LIVING

In keeping with our mission of “Living Jesus,” Georgetown Visitation is committed to fostering an institutional culture which honors the dignity and sacredness of every individual.

As a Salesian community, we derive strength from the belief that all people, as children of God, merit respect and equality. To fulfill the mission of preparing students to respond in a Christ-like manner to others, the Church and the global community, we recognize that it is vital to continue to develop and maintain an environment which values diversity, in all its multiplicity. Georgetown Visitation believes that we are strengthened intellectually and morally when diverse voices, perspectives, and backgrounds are present. We believe God calls us actively to embrace empathy, equity, and social justice in our work to educate women of faith, vision, and purpose.

Head of School Dr. Barbara McGraw Edmondson underscored the importance and relevance of the Philosophy today: “Our Philosophy of Community Culture brings understanding to the community we serve, the larger community, and the public, what we value, and what our commitments are to each other and to the world in which we live. It’s not a policy statement, it’s a way of living.” While Visitation has had a Philosophy of Community Culture for over a decade, the school has renewed efforts to elevate its prominence within the community, to underscore shared values, and to clearly articulate expectations for community behavior. Beginning this year, the Philosophy will be featured in the parent/ student handbook and the employee handbook.

Noted Dr. Edmondson, “All of us—students and faculty and staff alike—will affirm our commitment to upholding the Philosophy of Community Culture each year.”

More than a decade after its creation, we look at how the Philosophy of Community Culture relates to our mission as a Catholic school, how it is rooted in our Salesian charism, and how it is being lived today.

32

VISI.ORG

AGENCE OLLOWEB

ROOTED IN OUR FAITH, ALIVE WITH OUR CHARISM 1 Christians believe that we are made in God’s image and entrusted with the care of one another. Pope Francis’s recent encyclical Fratelli Tutti underscored that all are called to see each other as brothers and sisters. When any individual is mistreated or disadvantaged because they are different, it goes against God’s will that each should love one another as God loves us. The papal encyclical echoes the views of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Speaking specifically about racism, the USCCB stated in their 2017 pastoral letter, Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love, that, “Every racist act—every such comment, every joke, every disparaging look as a reaction to the color of skin, ethnicity, or place of origin—is a failure to recognize another person as a brother or sister, created in the image of God.” The letter invokes the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37–39) and notes that, “This command of love can never be simply ‘live and let others be.’ The command of love requires us to make room for others in our hearts. It means that we are indeed our brother’s keeper.”

Co-Chair of the Alumnae Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee and current parent Leena Moore Donaldson ‘93 could not agree more: “‘Love thy neighbor,’ is key to the Catholic faith; We need to get back to basics, which for me is love, community, family—while different members look different or have different views, we’re all one Church.”

Indeed, the Church is enriched by the multitude of gifts in its diverse members; as St. John Paul II said, “Each people preserves and expresses its own identity and enriches others with its gifts of culture.”

1 A charism is a living gift of the Holy Spirit to a religious order for the good of the Church.

Beyond the call to love thy neighbor, embracing diversity and treating every individual with respect is the essence of Catholic social teaching. Edmondson observed, “Catholic social teaching is a call to unity. Living in positive accord is God’s calling. We’re called as Christians to love one another to see the dignity of others, to see Christ in every human.

To have a Philosophy of Community Culture is to say we are called and have an inherent responsibility to love and to care for one another.”

Fellow Alumnae Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee Co-Chair Mimi Cekuta ’08 emphasized the importance of social justice in the context of the Philosophy, noting that the Philosophy makes explicit that “social justice, which is a huge part of Catholic teaching, is a key The work of empowerment, acceptance, part of the education diversity, equity, inclusion, and, most at Visitation. It is a importantly, sharing the Good News strong statement to that all are created in God’s image end [the Philosophy] and likeness, is the call; Georgetown with that. It needs Visitation responds with a loud, to be continually intentional, “yes, and Amen!” The reinforced. Diversity community engages with all members work is not just ticking of its community, following Saint a box; a huge part of Francis de Sales’ directive in the Treatise it is social justice.” on the Love of God: “All these together Kathleen Curtin are called to the universe, perhaps ’79, Chair of the because...[we are] unique and diverse, Board’s Diversity unique along with diversity, and and Inclusion diversity along with unity.”

Committee, agrees: “God calls us to GEORGETOWN VISITATION’S 2020 embrace empathy, VISITATION SALESIAN NETWORK equity and social ASSESSMENT VISITING TEAM REPORT justice—try to understand what others experience on a daily basis. To be women of faith, vision, and purpose, our students need empathy; social justice and service will follow. If you have empathy for one another, you won’t bully them. We are required to give these girls this gift of empathy before we send them out into the world.”

In addition to being rooted in the Catholic faith, the Philosophy of Community Culture is an expression of the school’s charism and directly related to its identity as a school in the Visitation tradition. In Educating the Mind & the Heart in the Visitation Tradition, a Visitation Salesian Network publication guiding the work of all Visitation schools in the United States, two of the six goals particularly relate to our commitment to building a welcoming community for all and advancing social justice.

Goal Three: Visitation schools build faith communities which call their members to understand the value of diversity and to respect the dignity of each person.

Goal Five: Visitation schools embrace and model gospel values of peace and justice in order to be catalysts for positive change.

Raynetta Jackson-Clay, Director of Student Activities and Diversity & Inclusion Co-Coordinator, shared that the Philosophy of Community Culture offers a template for the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work. She noted, “At Visitation, we build respect and weave social justice into everything we do, whether activities, forums, or speakers.

As a Catholic institution, these are foundational principles.”

The Philosophy of Community Culture makes explicit the connection between diversity and inclusion work, Salesian spirituality and Catholicism. “When you frame it in loving one another and understanding one another, that puts it in perspective,” explained Jackson-Clay.

RELATIONSHIP: THE HEART OF OUR VISITATION CHARISM St. Jane de Chantal Salesian Center Director Olivia Wills Kane ’85 noted that the values of community and of embracing diversity are the very essence of the Visitation spirit. When you look at how the Visitation monasteries and schools self-govern, it becomes clear that St. Francis de Sales’ celebration of “liberty of spirit” is alive in today’s Visitation Salesian Network. Each Visitation house is independent, with its own distinct culture. The “We approach diversity, equity Sisters collaborate by desire and inclusion from a standpoint and choice. So each is that transcends basic justice, distinct and unique, but and recognizes sacredness in they share values and the each person. Differences in our bonds of community. community are to be celebrated “Relationship is at the and seen as graces, not merely heart of our Visitation tolerated. As a community, charism,” observed Kane. and drawing from the wisdom “A charism exists only on this topic by Sts. Francis insofar as it is lived. de Sales and Jane de Chantal, It can be described but we see that diversity is a source never completely defined. of our strength.”

A clever insight to charisms is that they aren’t taught, KITTY WACH ’82 but rather ‘caught.’ One BOARD DIVERSITY & INCLUSION COMMITTEE MEMBER picks up the attitude, virtues, habits, and language, by being in relationship with those who live the charism.” Thus, for Visitation to fully embrace the Salesian virtues, community—and the loving embrace of all in the community—is essential.

Sidonie Becton ’07, Co-Chair of the Alumnae Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, sees the Philosophy as a guide for fostering right relationships in the Visitation community. “Everyone’s voice and everyone’s differences will

SPRING 2021

33

be respected. I think it is important to set that standard from the very beginning,” she said.

Donaldson remarked on the relationship between the Philosophy and our Salesian virtue of hospitality: “The Philosophy encourages and welcomes new families to Visi.

If they see this, they know, ‘Regardless of my color or my religion, I will be welcome.’” The benefit extends to current students as well, affirming the school’s values and commitment to supporting and welcoming all.

“Only by forging authentic relationships can we truly see GEORGETOWN each other as Christ sees us,” VISITATION’S MISSION the USCCB stated in Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call Our mission is to empower to Love, “By listening to one our students to meet the another’s experiences we can demands and challenges come to understand and to of today’s rapidly changing empathize, which leads to and morally complex world. those right relationships that We guide our students unite us as brothers and to become self-reliant, sisters.” intellectually mature, and Curtin noted, “We’re in a morally responsible women unique position as a Catholic, of faith, vision, and purpose.

Salesian school…we believe everyone is a child of God. We need to find ways to connect with all members of our community. It is a big part of what we should be doing: helping educate people, helping them understand that and see that our actions tie into that, and how they tie into the commitment and the Salesian charism.”

Becton attended a Salesian elementary school as well and noted that St. Francis’ maxim to “Be who you are and be that well,” is not complete without the end of his statement, “to give honor to the Master Craftsman whose handiwork you are.” She observes, “We’re all special, unique, and worthy of respect. We’re all to give honor to God.”

EMBRACING OUR MISSION, LIVING OUR PHILOSOPHY In describing how integral the Philosophy is to Visitation’s mission, Edmondson said, “Our young people today will leave our campus and be called upon to act in a global community with great diversity, comprising people from many different cultures, experiences, and races. Now is the time when they are challenged to enter in conversation with someone with a different perspective or experience.

It speaks directly to our mission when we refer to a rapidly changing and morally complex world. It is all about helping our students step back and empathize with someone else’s experience. The most successful people are those who are good at relating, which requires you to walk in another’s shoes.”

Curtin emphasized that the Philosophy of Community Culture is not static, but vibrant. “The Philosophy is a vision that people can apply in day-to-day life and beyond the school walls,” she said. Curtin is hopeful that Visitation can intentionally live and share this work much as we have our Salesian charism since the advent of the St. Jane de Chantal Salesian Center: highlighting our Philosophy frequently and visibly, reflecting on it in meetings and classes, reading it at events. “It should be something everyone knows, like the Direction of Intention,” she noted.

Peggy Judge Hamilton ’85, English teacher and Diversity & Inclusion Co-Coordinator, observed that the Philosophy is directly connected to our mission and that helping students understand and live this Philosophy is “just as important as teaching women of faith, vision, and purpose.” It should be “at the forefront of our thinking.”

Curtin offered a vision for the future: “We can create a diverse student body, but then the hard work starts: how does everyone feel like they belong here? How do alums, faculty, parents, feel like they belong? It’s so critical. I’m so encouraged by Visitation’s commitment to this—the work that has happened so far; it’s so inspiring to me. We have a long way to go and we need to move forward with a sense of shared purpose.”

Beginning with the 2021–2022 school year, Visitation will have a Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This individual will help create and direct our diversity, equity and inclusion programs and education for students, families, and faculty & staff. Informing all aspects of school life, from policy to curriculum to events, our new Director will help all members of our community embrace and live our Philosophy of Community Culture.

34

VISI.ORG