How to address a letter to a vocation director

[Hufflepuff]

I'm getting ready to write (snail mail) to a community that I had been in contact with years ago. This community doesn't list the name of their vocation directress on their website. It says to address letters to "Attn: Vocation Directress," which is fine for the front of the envelope.

How would you start a letter to a vocation directress whose name you don't know? Normally I would write "Dear Sr..." I could potentially address it to the sister who was the vocation directress from several years ago, but she may not be in that position now. This question has to have come up before, but I couldn't find it lol

[Nunsuch]

Dear Sister,

[Nunsuch]

Also, in this day and age, writing "Dear Sir" when you don't know the gender of the recipient is dangerous and potentially offensive. I have gotten such missives in the past, but probably not for 30 years.

 

[gloriana35]

I hope this has not changed, but, in business correspondence, Dear Sir or Madam remains proper. (In the past, it was 'Dear Sir" or "Gentlemen." I wasn't offended by such forms, only frustrated when someone met me and wanted to get past me to the 'real' manager.)

For a vocation director or superior, whose name one does not know, I'd agree with "Dear Sister."

[GraceUk]

I agree with Dear Sister. It's the most appropriate  by far.

[SicutColumba]

Dear Sister works here, I think, but I see no problem with starting off a letter to an unknown correspondent with « Greetings ». It’s not familiar and you also get to avoid any sticky situations, such as not knowing whether it’s Sir or Madam or Miss or Ms. or Mother or Sister. 

[Hufflepuff]

Dear Sister sounds good. Thanks

I'm not sure why we're talking about sirs and madams, but ok 

[gloriana35]

Quote

If someone is writing to the vocation director for a community of Sisters, the director will not be a Sir or Ms. I think, when Hufflepuff first posted, that her using the abbreviation Sr was mistaken for 'Sir.' (I must be getting old, but I would not write a letter and begin it with 'greetings,' unless it was a form letter.)

 

[SicutColumba]

On 6/8/2021 at 1:21 PM, gloriana35 said:

 

You’re right. Greetings is probably best left to email since it’s a less formal means of communication. 

To whom it may concern, then