visitatrix

English

Etymology

From Latin visitatrix or visitator +‎ -trix.

Noun

visitatrix (plural visitatrices or visitatrixes)

1. (Catholicism) female equivalent of visitator
   • 1898, Charles I[gnatius] White, “Appendix”, in Life of Mrs. Eliza A. Seton, Foundress and First Superior of the Sisters or Daughters of Charity in the United States of America; […], 3rd edition, New York, N.Y.: P. J. Kenedy, […], page 456:

     Besides the experience of a mission life, Mother Euphemia had been a member of the council, and assistant to the visitatrix at the Central House for upwards of eleven years, so that she was fully initiated in the duties of her new and responsible position.

   • 1923, “The Visitation”, in The Rule and Constitutions, with Directory and Book of Customs of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of Mount Hope, New York, New York, N.Y.: William J. Hirten Co., Inc., […], section 225, page 96:

     The visitatrix has the right and obligation of interrogating the religious whom she deems it well to hear and of informing herself on those matters that pertain to the visitation;

   • 1938 May, “Hospital Activities”, in Hospital Progress, volume XIX, number 5, page 32A, column 1:

     At St. Vincent’s Hospital, Indianapolis, Sister Catherine, assistant to the visitatrix of the western province of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, gave an illustrated lecture on leprosy to Sisters, students, and guests.

   • 1951, Bertrande [Meyers], “With Ma Soeur Falck in Normandie”, in Devotedly Yours, Westminster, Md.: The Newman Press, page 38:

     With the reading of the martyrology my sub-conscious came alive, and my thoughts darted to so many circulars: “… And the Visitatrices shall arrange for the retreats within their conscriptions.” “Oh, my word,” I thought. “She is the Visitatrix and here I’ve been hob[-]nobbing with her as though she were a happy little private …”

   • 1952, “Apostles and Apostolates”, in Women of the Cenacle, Milwaukee, Wis.: Convent of Our Lady of the Cenacle, page 137:

     She was deeply attached to the first English Cenacle when she received a sudden order to sail for New York on the feast of St. John Francis Regis in 1905, in the company of the visitatrix, Mother Marie Dognin.

   • 1952 September, Louise Rabold, “SS Mary & Elizabeth Hospital Library”, in Bulletin of Kentucky Library Association, volume 16, number 1, page 7, column 1:

     The fact that we have these journals bound and up to date from that time made a very favorable impression on the visitatrix from the National League of Nursing education and helped us to win our accreditation.

   • 1953 January, Carmelita Quinn, “Congress of Mothers General in Rome”, in The Benedictine Review, volume VIII, number 1, page seventeen, column 2:

     Responsibility of the visitatrix to examine well everything relating to subjects, the houses, the registers, and other pertinent matters.

   • 1957, Louise Callan, “The Reality of God’s Will”, in Philippine Duchesne, Frontier Missionary of the Sacred Heart, 1769–1852, Westminster, Md.: The Newman Press, →LCCN, page 669:

     When Mother Hamilton went to St. Louis to see her and report on conditions in the convent she was directing, the visitatrix made a swift decision and ordered the closing of the boarding school at St. Charles.

   • 1965, Bernard F[rancis] Deutsch, “Shrine of Our Lady of Ephesus”, in Our Lady of Ephesus, Milwaukee, Wis.: The Bruce Publishing Company, →LCCN, page 109:

     Sister Guerlin, the visitatrix of the Daughters of Charity from Istanbul, was at Panaya, alone in the garden by the little cottage of the nuns.

   • 1991 fall, W. Charles Heiser, “THEOLOGY DIGEST book survey”, in Theology Digest, volume 38, number 3, section “HANNEFIN, Daniel, D.C. Daughters of the church: a popular history of the Daughters of Charity in the United States, 1809-1987. […]”, page 268, column 1:

     The five visitatrixes of the United States, who commissioned the work, designated a sister from each province to provide material and review the manuscript for accuracy and adequacy.

   • 1997, “Duchesne, Rose Philippine (1769–1852)”, in Michael Glazier, Thomas J. Shelley, editors, The Encyclopedia of American Catholic History, Collegeville, Minn.: The Liturgical Press, →ISBN, page 464, column 2:

     With the arrival of the visitatrix, Mother Elizabeth Galitzin, in the fall of 1840, Mother Duchesne would be finally relieved of her duties as superior.

   • 2014, John E. Rybolt, The Vincentians: A General History of the Congregation of the Mission (Volume 5: An Era of Expansion: 1878–1919), New City Press:

     The superioress general, visitatrixes, and many other Sisters also attended.

   • 2020, Rosa Bruno-Jofré, “The Dusty Years to the Post-war Years”, in The Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions: From Ultramontane Origins to a New Cosmology, University of Toronto Press, →ISBN, page 120:

     She accompanied Mother M. Imelda, visitatrix to Tonkin, and remained there for forty years, working with the poor and teaching music and regular classes.