The Visitation

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.

VisitationMS

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

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.

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.

Ikon of the VisitationIt’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.

The Magnificat in Latin and English

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