2025 Jubilee Celebrations
Every year, our community celebrates jubilees, special celebrations designating an anniversary year.
This year, we have sisters celebrating 60 years of religious life.
Celebrating 85 Years of Religious Life
Born Eileen Olive Coyle, Sister Mary Linus is the fourth of the 10 children born to the late John and Sarah Coyle of Cross Plains, Wisconsin. Her oldest sibling, Linus, died at age 10 and it was his name that she took when she was received into religious life. The faith she learned and lived in early family years sustains her long life.
Sister Linus is an example of a lifelong learner. In her early formation and for the first 23 years of religious life with the School Sisters of St. Francis of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she worked with African-American, Native Americans, Chinese and Hispanic communities. She readily loved and respected those of other ethnicities and learned to better understand their cultures.
In 1973, Sister Linus transferred to the Presentation community and went on to serve as a teacher, principal and computer lab coordinator in Catholic schools in Chicago, Illinois; Keyesville, Lancaster and Milwaukee, all in Wisconsin; Yazoo City, Mississippi; Moravia, Costa Rica; Charles City, Dubuque, Epworth and Mason City, all in Iowa; and St. Paul, Minnesota. She also served in many summer catechetical programs throughout her teaching career.
When Sister Linus retired to Mount Loretto in 2001, she stayed active by volunteering to work with the sisters in the computer lab. “All of the sisters were eager to learn and thankful for the help,” comments Sister Linus. “I was doing something I really enjoyed and learned something new in the process.”
Sister Linus has a special talent and appreciation for reflecting the Word poetically. In the course of one year, she wrote a poetic verse about each sister for her day of celebration, whether birthday or feast day, affirming each sister’s contributions to the Mount Loretto community. She then compiled her writings in a notebook for all to enjoy.
Sister Linus, who celebrated her 100th birthday earlier this year, presently lives in retirement, offering community prayer and service at Mount Loretto in Dubuque, Iowa. She enjoys spending time with the sisters and soaking in the beauty of the motherhouse grounds.
Reflecting on 85 Years of Religious Life
“Gratitude, praise and humility still echo in my heart as I look back on over 85 years of service to God,” shares Sister Linus. “Each chapter has been shaped by grace, and I am deeply thankful for the blessings of family, friends and my Presentation community, who have shown Christ’s love in countless ways. I continue to entrust all to the hearts of Jesus and Mary.”
Celebrating 75 Years of Religious Life
Marie Catherine Barth is the oldest of six children born to the late Frederick and Veronica Barth. She grew up in Dubuque, Iowa, on Rush Street near St. Columbkille Church and School. Her parents encouraged her art and music pursuits, enrolling her in piano lessons with the Presentation Sisters. After joining the Sisters of the Presentation in 1950, Marie studied both music and art at Loras College in Dubuque. She also completed summer art classes at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
For 18 years Sister Marie served as a classroom and music teacher and liturgy coordinator in Catholic schools in Algona and Osage, Iowa; Timber Lake, South Dakota; and Monticello, Minnesota. She then completed a master’s degree in religious studies at St. Mary College in Winona, Minnesota. Sister Marie became religious education coordinator in the Garnavillo/Elkader/Monona cluster from 1969-1974 and the Charles City/Roseville cluster from 1975-1981, all in Iowa.
In 1981, Sister Marie was appointed associate director of religious education for the Archdiocese of Dubuque, requiring her to travel widely throughout Iowa. After seven years in this demanding role, she began a sabbatical year dedicated to the arts, taking classes at Macalester College and St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota.
For the next 10 years, Sister Marie was on the preaching team with the Missionary Oblates at Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo, Minnesota. She was also liturgy coordinator for retreats, including pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to sites from St. Paul’s second missionary journey in Greece and Turkey.
In 2001, Sister Marie felt called to bring artistic experiences to sisters, associates, friends and acquaintances in the Dubuque area. She offered weekly classes in various art genres followed by notable exhibits. She also traveled 10 summers to Okolona, Mississippi, to offer art and music opportunities to African American students there.
Sister Marie now lives in retirement, offering community prayer and service at Mount Loretto in Dubuque, Iowa.
Reflecting on 75 Years of Religious Life
“As I reflect on 75 years of religious life, I am filled with deep gratitude for the many ways God has shaped my journey through music, art, faith and community,” shares Sister Marie. “Each opportunity to teach, create and accompany others in their spiritual lives has been a sacred gift. I thank God for the beauty I have encountered in people, in prayer and in the creative spirit that continues to inspire me.”
Born in Dubuque, Iowa, to Alvin and Edith Moes, Sister Dolores has devoted her life to education, pastoral care, community service and advocacy for the protection of human life. Her unwavering commitment to her faith and to the mission of the Presentation Sisters has touched countless lives across Iowa and beyond.
Sister Dolores served as an elementary teacher in Catholic schools in Key West, Dubuque, Osage and Waukon, Iowa, and Oak Lawn, Illinois; as an elementary principal in Algona and Lawler, Iowa; as house coordinator, retirement coordinator and in the infirmary for her congregation; as pastoral associate in parishes in Buffalo Center, Forest City and Lake Mills, Iowa; and as an elderly caretaker at Seventh Heaven in Dubuque.
She led several large projects with strength and grace during her expansive career. In December 1963 as principal at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Lawler, Iowa, she acted quickly with the pastor and staff when a fire destroyed the school. By utilizing a vacant public school building, classes were able to resume that January thanks to the help of parishioners, other Presentation and Catholic sisters and citizens from surrounding communities. As Presentation house coordinator, she was also instrumental in organizing the sisters’ move from their motherhouse at 1229 Mt. Loretta Avenue to 2360 Carter Road in 1969.
When Sister Dolores retired to Mount Loretto in 2008, she stayed very active through volunteer work. She arranged prayer schedules and activities for her fellow sisters, cared for them in the infirmary, participated in Earth care projects, formed connections through her Presentation associate prayer group, volunteered at the Dubuque Food Pantry and was particularly active through Right to Life, Inc. In 2013, Sister Dolores was recognized with the Hands and Hearts Award for her work with Right to Life, Inc. and her overall commitment to the dignity and sanctity of life.
After 75 years of service, Sister Dolores embraces a quieter rhythm of life, enriched by family visits, contemplative prayer and the rosary.
Reflecting on 75 Years of Religious Life
“As I look back on 75 years of religious life, seeing the happiness and gratitude of others has brought me great hope and affirmed that I was making a difference,” Sister Dolores reflects. “And so, even after all these years, I still begin my day by sharing my plans with the Lord. ‘If you, Jesus, have other ideas, let me know. Give me your love and grace, and together we can make a difference.’ And Jesus usually does!”
Celebrating 60 Years of Religious Life
As Sister Lynn Marie Fangman celebrates 60 years as a Sister of the Presentation, her life stands as a powerful example of faithful service, joyful leadership and lifelong commitment to the mission of the Gospel. Originally from Dubuque, Iowa, Sister Lynn Marie has spent six decades living out the spirit of foundress Nano Nagle — bringing light to others through education, stewardship and community leadership.
Sister Lynn Marie began her ministry as a Catholic school teacher, serving in Algona, Iowa, where she taught young children in their earliest years of learning and faith formation. Her gifts for leadership and administration soon led her to roles as principal in Sheldon, Algona and later at St. Columbkille in Dubuque. In each setting, she led with compassion, dedication and a strong belief in Catholic education’s power to transform lives.
Recognized for her vision and experience, Sister Lynn Marie went on to serve as associate director in the Office of Education for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. There, she mentored principals, supported school boards and helped shape diocesan efforts to uphold Catholic identity, academic excellence and justice-centered learning. Her influence helped countless educators and administrators more deeply connect their work to the mission of the Church.
In 1990, Sister Julianne Brockamp, then congregational leader, invited Sister Lynn Marie to extend her gifts of stewardship in a new direction — serving the Sisters of the Presentation as general treasurer. It was a pivotal shift that would become her ministry for over three decades. Sister Lynn Marie managed the congregation’s financial resources with wisdom, foresight and integrity. Her work ensured that the community could care for its members, respond to emerging needs and invest in ministries aligned with the Gospel and Nano Nagle’s vision.
From 2010 to 2020, she simultaneously served as director of stewardship development for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. In this role, she inspired parishes and individuals to see stewardship not simply as financial giving but as a spiritual way of life — one rooted in gratitude, generosity and mission. Her dual service reflected a rare and remarkable ability to bridge community and diocesan needs with grace and competence.
“Jubilee is a time to look back in great appreciation and thanksgiving for all the gifts and blessings of 60 years,” Sister Lynn Marie reflects. “To follow the call to live in the spirit of our foundress Nano Nagle is a call to live the Gospel in a spirit of joy and hospitality — in unity with others of like intention and calling. I can’t think of a better way to have spent these years.”
In October 2022, Sister Lynn Marie retired. Through her enduring commitment in education, financial stewardship and religious life, Sister Lynn Marie continues to enrich both her congregation and the wider Church.
Sister Marjorie (Marge) Healy celebrates 60 years as a Sister of the Presentation with a heart full of gratitude and a life rich in faith, service and mission. Originally from Farley, Iowa, Sister Marge’s journey has taken her from classrooms in Iowa to the rural mountainsides of Bolivia and Guatemala.
Her early years in ministry were rooted in Catholic education, teaching mathematics and religion at Garrigan High School in Algona and Columbus High School in Waterloo. But it was the stirring of a deeper call that led Sister Marge to a lifelong passion for cross-cultural mission and pastoral ministry, beginning in Entre Ríos, Bolivia in 1980.
In Bolivia and later in Chupol, Guatemala, Sister Marge dedicated herself to pastoral work, the formation of faith communities, teaching and offering accompaniment in underserved regions. Her presence helped nurture the seeds of Base Christian Communities, a grassroots model of Church born from the Latin American church’s commitment to justice and community. These groups empowered local leaders —many of them poor and marginalized — to reflect on Scripture, discern community needs and act with compassion and purpose.
Between mission commitments, Sister Marge returned to the U.S. to serve in a variety of impactful roles. As formation director for the Sisters of the Presentation and later as a member of the congregation’s leadership team, she accompanied, supported and learned with the Sisters how to live as women in religious life. While employed at Mercy Medical Center in Mason City, Iowa, she ministered in outreach to Spanish speaking persons in the small towns and farms of Hardin, Franklin, and Wright counties with sensitivity, advocacy and care.
In 2013, Sister Marge once again called Bolivia home. In Entre Ríos, she continued to minister as a pastoral presence — coordinating Scripture study, organizing formation for rural faith leaders and simply being a steady source of support in a region with over 100 remote communities. Her ministry is marked by deep listening, cultural respect and a profound trust in the resilience and wisdom of the people.
In 2021, Sister Marge returned to the U.S. with a desire to advocate and companion immigrants. In 2023, she was in a group that received the Champion Award from the Presentation Lantern Center in Dubuque for their compassionate support of a grieving student navigating language barriers, loss and life transitions.
Reflecting on her 60th jubilee and on a favorite quote of Frederich Buechner, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s great hunger meet.” Sister Marge shares, “Looking at our world as it is and the world as God wants it to be — a ‘kingdom- of justice and peace — I am grateful for the opportunities I have had walking with Bolivians, Guatemalans and immigrants from all around the world. They continue to teach me through their love, suffering, joy, despair, frustration and HOPE. My heart is glad.”
Indeed, Sister Marge Healy’s life is a radiant reflection of Nano Nagle’s legacy — one lived in bold hope, humble presence and tireless love for the most vulnerable.
As Sister Jennifer Rausch celebrates 60 years as a Sister of the Presentation her life stands as a testament to a deep love for God, a passion for service and a bold commitment to leadership and pastoral care.
Born in New Hampton and raised in Charles City, Iowa, Sister Jennifer began her journey with the Presentation Sisters in 1965. Since then, her ministry has woven through classrooms, parishes, dioceses, seminaries and even across continents. Her work has shaped countless lives through education, spiritual formation and pastoral outreach.
Early in her ministry, Sister Jennifer served as a junior high and high school teacher in Cedar Falls and Waterloo, Iowa, bringing the light of faith to young people through subjects like math, science and religion. Her teaching extended beyond the classroom as she became a director of religious education in various parishes in Iowa and Minnesota, nurturing the faith formation of both children and adults.
She later turned her attention to vocation ministry, walking closely with those discerning their call to priesthood. She served as associate vocation director for the Diocese of Des Moines, Archdiocese of St. Paul Minneapolis and Archdiocese of Dubuque, and later as director of recruitment at The Saint Paul Seminary School of Theology. Her wisdom and accompaniment during these years helped shape a new generation of Church leaders.
From 1994 to 1998, Sister Jennifer served on the leadership team of the Sisters of the Presentation, and in 2008, she was elected congregational leader. In these roles, she brought her pastoral heart and forward-thinking vision to the congregation. During her term, she also spent a transformative year ministering at the Nano Nagle Centre in Ballygriffin, Ireland — connecting deeply with the roots of Presentation spirituality.
In her years as pastoral associate at Immaculate Conception Parish in Charles City, Sister Jennifer embodied what it means to be “pastoral.” Whether accompanying the grieving, visiting the sick, preparing liturgies or organizing service opportunities, she walked gently and purposefully with those she served, always honoring the dignity and humanity of each person.
Over the years, Sister Jennifer has been recognized for her dedication. In 2003, she received the National Catholic Education Association’s Distinguished Graduate Award for her outstanding service to Church and community.
Reflecting on her 60th jubilee, Sister Jennifer says, “I am grateful for these 60 years that have been marked with much joy and many blessings. My prayer is that the coming years may be marked with a bold hope for all of us.”
Indeed, Sister Jennifer’s life continues to be a source of bold hope — a radiant example of Nano Nagle’s legacy alive in today’s world.
