Fr. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS, on the Feast of the Visitation

"I recently returned from a trip to India where I was blessed to be with the Oblate community that has been flourishing on the subcontinent for the last thirty years.  While visiting the country, I was able to participate in the dedication of a new seminary,   celebrate the perpetual profession of six young Oblates,  pray with another six students preparing to enter the Oblate novitiate, and visit De Sales Academy, the successful Salesian school that carries on the great tradition of Oblate education. . . .

"I was also presented with a shawl at the special events I attended as part of the official welcoming ceremony. The beautiful cloths were wrapped around my shoulders as a sign of respect, appreciation, and honor."

In a recent commentary, Father Jack Kolodziej, OSFS, reflected on the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and how the people of the Middle East also gift their guests with special greetings, cloths, and garlands.  I think of the image of Mary and Elizabeth being wrapped in their own cloths and embracing each other with the mantle of charity.  In reality, these women were wrapped in the love of God, sharing the presence of Christ, and filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit."

To access Fr. Kolodziej's complete post, please visit:

De Sales Weekly: Provincial Reflection: Greeting God in One Another (29 MAY 25)