Presentation Sisters
As of 2024, the Presentation Sisters are active in 19 countries: Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Dominica, Ecuador, India, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
[2] She quietly began teaching Irish children in the trading port of Cork City, and her reputation spread widely.
[4] They adopted as their title the Society of Charitable Instruction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,[5] which was changed in 1791 to that of "Presentation Order" (Ord na Toirbhirte).
[6][7] The Roman Catholic Church declared Nagle a Servant of God in 1994, and Venerable in 2013, on the path toward possible canonization as a Saint.
Soon after her succession, a set of rules, adapted from that of Augustine of Hippo, was drawn up by Bishop Francis Moylan, and approved by Pope Pius VI in September 1791.
The secular system followed was the "National", superseded, in many cases, by the "Intermediate", both of which ensured a sound education in English; to these were added domestic economy, Latin, Irish, French, and German.
For girls who needed to support themselves by earning a living, workrooms were established at Cork, Youghal, and other places, where Limerick lace, Irish points and crochet were taught.
[9] India received its first foundation in 1841, when Xavier Kearney and some Sisters from Rahan and Mullingar established themselves at Madras.
[9] A large proportion of these communities are today more closely united within the Union of Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, created by papal decree on 19 July 1976.
[11] The Union of Presentation Sisters is a congregation of 1,300 women working internationally in thirteen Provinces or Units.
[15] The first Presentation Convent in the Americas was founded in Newfoundland in 1833 at the request of Bishop Michael Anthony Fleming, Vicar Apostolic of the island.
[18] In November 1854, five Presentation Sisters arrived in San Francisco from Ireland at the invitation of Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany.
The Sisters had great difficulties in their early founding years, but succeeded in interesting prominent Catholics of the city in their work.
Father Arthur J. Donnelly, the founding pastor of St. Michael's Church as its school building neared completion, went to Ireland in February 1874 to invite the Presentation Sisters to take charge of the girls' department.
[26] As their numbers later dwindled, the Sisters downsized the convent and property in 2010, and began moving toward a long-term partnership with the New Windsor community.
[28] The Fargo, North Dakota community was established in 1880 under Mary John Hughes, and took charge of a free school, home, and academy.
[29] In 1886, some Sisters from Fargo went to Aberdeen, South Dakota, and, under the guidance of Mary Joseph Butler, took charge of schools at Bridgewater, Bristol, Chamberlain, Elkton, Jefferson, Mitchell, Milbank, and Woonsocket, as well as two hospitals.
[9] In 1886, Mary Magdalen Keating, with a small group of Sisters, left New York at the invitation of Philip Joseph Garrigan (later Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa), to take charge of the schools of St. Bernard's Parish, Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
The mission flourished and established other foundations in West Fitchburg and Clinton, Massachusetts; Central Falls, Rhode Island; and Berlin, New Hampshire.
As of 2015, member communities were those of:[30] In 1946 the major superiors of the seven Presentation congregations in Australia agreed on common constitutions.
In 1958 Pope Pius XII approved the formation of the Society of the Australian Congregations of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
They boarded The Empress at Queenstown, Ireland, and arrived at Hobart three months later to open, at Richmond, the first Presentation convent and school in the Southern Hemisphere.
[32] After copper was discovered in Queenstown on the west coast of Tasmania, Archbishop Murphy wanted a convent and school to be set up there.
St Francis Xavier's School at Beaconsfield was opened on 23 April 1899 led by Mother Mary Paul Boylson and three other sisters.
In 1902, Magdalen Riordan and novice Aquin Darling started St Margaret's school with 50 children in attendance.
In 1956 Archbishop Young approached the Presentation Sisters to open a convent and school at George Town.
[32] In February 1959 the Presentation Sisters accepted the invitation to open St Anthony's school at Riverside, a suburb of Launceston.
[32] In 1981 Sister Mary Ursula Grachan received the Order of Australia Medal for "service to education",[35] personally awarded by Queen Elizabeth II at Albert Hall, Launceston.
[32] On 21 December 1873, six Sisters and a postulant arrived in Melbourne from Limerick to found a convent and school at St Kilda, the summer resort for the growing capital of the newly established colony of Victoria.
[45] They elected not to join the Conference of Presentation Sisters of North America, and Watervliet remains an independent congregation.
