Presentation Presence from 1969-2012 Saint Patrick Parish traces its history to the first Mass in Cedar Falls, Iowa, celebrated by Father Patrick McGinnis in the home of Andrew Mullarky in 1855. In 1856 Father John Shiels began to minister to the Catholics of Cedar Falls, and directed the building of a new brick church. In
Presentation Presence from 1968-2016 The work of the Sisters of the Presentation in Waterloo, Iowa, varied with the years. Twenty-one sisters served as teachers, parish ministers and spiritual directors in the city between 1968 and 2016. Columbus High School opened in 1959. A central Catholic high school, it replaced three parish high schools. Sixteen sisters
Presentation Presence from 1944-1977 “Even before the first meeting of the Ecumenical Council, one could see a Catholic sister in Oregon, Illinois, riding a Church of God bus.” A parish bus had been used to transport the students, but it was old and “often was just too tired to make its daily run. On those
Presentation Presence from 1964-2005 “Four Presentation Sisters arrived in Chicago, Illinois, on August 11, 1964, to begin a new mission at St. Germaine Parish in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Sister Mary Philip Jasper was the superior, and her sisters were Sister Mary Emilie Bormann (councilor), Sister Mary Magdalen (Kay) Cota and Sister Richard Marie Kane.” This
Presentation Presence from 1962-1990 On August 13, 1962, three Presentation Sisters were welcomed to St. Odilia Parish in St. Paul (Shoreview), Minnesota, by Father Leo Kapphahn, OSC, and his assistant Father Jerome Plourde, OSC. On August 16, Sisters Michelle Gallagher, Carol Duffy and Elaine Van Zile were joined by Sister Philip Jasper, who would become
Our Global Roots The Sisters of the Presentation founded by Nano Nagle in 1775 has become a world-wide organization spanning 24 countries and six continents. The Dubuque foundation, stemming from Mooncoin in Ireland, has followed the lead of Nano in expanding its mission to Central and South America, Africa and Ireland. Bolivia: 1970 – Present
Presentation Presence from 1961-Present After having conducted religious education classes at St. Philomena Parish in Asbury for 25 years, the Sisters of the Presentation took over the operation of the new school which was built in 1961. At that time the name of the parish, and subsequently that of the school, was changed to Church
Presentation Presence from 1959-2006 A study of the four Catholic high schools in Dubuque, begun in 1955, discovered deteriorating buildings and overcrowded conditions. Loras Academy, Immaculate Conception Academy, St. Joseph Academy and St. Columbkille School were under the auspices of various religious community groups at the time. A decision was made to undertake the construction
Presentation Presence from 1956-2008 Sheldon, a thriving town in the northwest corner of Iowa, was founded by Irish settlers, who carried their heritage with them to the New World. The first priest to minister to the Catholics in Sheldon was Msgr. Lennihan, who served the church in several counties in the area from 1873-1876. The first
Presentation Presence from 1923-2009 The histories of three northeast Iowa parishes and schools are closely related, and in some cases intertwined. The following narrative relies heavily on the history of each parish according to Monsignor Justin A. Driscoll’s account in “With Faith and Vision” (c.1967) to summarize the individual history of each place. St. John
Presentation Presence from 1952-Present “In 1854, as prairie schooners moved westward, a small band of pioneers settled along the Cedar River in a village which was to become Charles City. Missionary priests from the Diocese of Dubuque … were assigned to visit the area a few times each year. In 1867 a pastor was assigned
Presentation Presence from 1941 – Present “In the name of the parish … especially on behalf of two generations of Sacred Heart families, we publicly express our gratitude to the Presentation community an “The Midwest was still new when pioneers in ox-drawn wagons trekked westward in search of a place for a home and the
Presentation Presence from 1947-1985; 1987-2001 “In the name of the parish … especially on behalf of two generations of Sacred Heart families, we publicly express our gratitude to the Presentation community and to all the individual sisters who have served … at Sacred Heart.” (Father Leon Connolly, parish bulletin, 1985) These comments recognized the 58
Presentation Presence from 1927-2015 “Father (Thomas) Davern organized the parish men to assist in the building of St. Cecelia Academy. The basement area of it was dug by horses pulling slips and fresnos along with many hands digging with spades and shovels. The farmers would drive their teams to town daily during the week with
Presentation Presence from 1920-1968 “In 1920 some timid, home-loving sisters considered South Dakota almost beyond Earth’s end. However, four valiant daughters of Nano Nagle were found who were ready to face anything for the honor and glory of God in the name of the Iowa Presentation Sisters. They were Sisters Mary Albia O’Brien, Mary de
Presentation Presence from 1920-2010 “In 1920, the Reverend Thomas Davern saw the completion of a parish school at St. Mary’s made possible by the generosity of Mr. Denis Hessian, who donated funds for its erection.” (Early Missions Annals #223C) Thus began the Catholic school system in Humboldt, Iowa. According to an article in the Humboldt Independent
Presentation Presence from 1919-1929 “The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Dubuque, Iowa, who had not previously been represented in the Diocese, were placed in charge of the school, St. Joseph’s Boarding and Day School.” The parish Historical Yearbook, 1887-1976, describes the introduction of the Sisters of the Presentation in this manner.
Presentation Presence from 1919-1981 “Spiritually fortified with the peace and confidence that comes from participation in Mass and Holy Communion, five Presentation Sisters faced West, bound for the land of the Dakotas. The date was August 26, 1919.” Mother Benedict Murphy’s Annals, quoted in the Timber Lake Historical Society Newsletter of June 2007 Pioneers Sisters Mary
Presentation Presence from 1919-1927 “An invitation for Nano Nagle’s daughters to work in Colorado came like a bolt from the clear blue. The first request came from Father Ghroman at Akron, the other from Father Schmidt at Stratton.” This is how an un-named annalist described the beginning of the eight years of Presentation presence in
Presentation Presence from 1919-1940 “Nestled in the rolling hills of northeast Nebraska, the town of Emerson has the distinction of being located in three counties. The largest western section is in Dixon County, while the northeast part is in Dakota County, and the southeast part of town is in Thurston County.” It was established as
Presentation Presence from 1907-1969 “No town is an island, but the town of Fairbank wouldn’t be without one.” Thus began an article in the Des Moines Register on September 3, 1978. This picturesque island lies in the Little Wapsipinicon River that bisects Fairbank at the west edge of the business district. It is accessible via
Presentation Presence from 1910-2012 Catholic education began in the “River City” area in 1888 with the building of St. Francis Academy, a boarding school for girls and a day school for boys and girls. The Academy was staffed by the Sisters of St. Francis from Clinton, Iowa. When this first structure burned in 1908, the
Presentation Presence from 1913-1968 In 1909 Father John M. Molloy had a great deal of influence on the town of Ryan, Iowa, and also on the parish and school in which the Sisters of the Presentation were to serve for 55 years. Legend has it that Father Molloy was pastor at two parishes when he
Presentation Presence from 1915-1969 “I found a deep faith in the people in Monona, Iowa, and continue to treasure the memories of my days there,” Sister Sheila Ann Dougherty remarks recently. The roots of that faith grew deep in the lives of the people, nourished by Mass celebrated in private homes before a church building
Presentation Presence from 1902-1912 St. Aloysius School St. Aloysius School saw several orders of sisters over the years including Milwaukee Franciscans (1901-1902), Dubuque Presentations (1902-1912) and LaCrosse Franciscans (1913-1986). The first Presentation sisters to teach in Calmar were Sisters Mary Ursula Farrell, Albia O’Brien, Petronella Clarke and Xavier Evans. German and Bohemian were the dominant
Presentation Presence from 1902-1999 “Mother Mary Josephine Howley, sister in charge, accompanied by Sisters Mary Aloysius Waring, Mary Xavier Evens, Mary Dolorosa Lynch and Mary Petronella Clark, arrived in Whittemore on September 25, 1903, and were welcomed to this homey, Midwestern Iowa prairie town with that friendliness which still characterizes the generous people of Whittemore.”
Presentation Presence 1907-1973 Dougherty, “The Garden Spot of Iowa,” first welcomed the Presentation sisters in 1907. At that time the Holy Ghost sisters, who had run the school since 1897, decided to concentrate their efforts in the Dubuque area. According to an early annalist, “To the credit of their former teachers, be it said that
Presentation Presence from 1882-1969, 2001-2007 “A backward glance over close to 70 years reveals how sincere and warm was the welcome extended to Sisters Vincent Donnelly, Baptista Hussey, de Sales Weibel and Cecilia Malloy by the great-hearted people of Lawler, that beautifully located inland Iowa town, on September 15, 1882.” This description in the annals
Presentation Presence from 1885-1975 The Presentation sisters began their ministry in Elkader, Iowa, on August 25, 1885. The Sisters of Charity, BVM, who had spent 17 years in the school, had withdrawn due to increased commitments elsewhere. According to Mother Benedict Murphy’s Annals, “Bishop Hennessy immediately requested Mother Patricia to send sisters to replace them.”
As one who has walked the halls of St. Columbkille School from kindergarten to 12th grade, it is my privilege to muse upon its beginnings and early history. In October 1874, Mother Vincent Hennessy, Alice Howley (great aunt of Sister Anna Howley), Ellen Ahearn and Kate Reide left Ireland arriving in Dubuque to find that
Presentation Presence from 1883-2000 To recount the history of Saint Patrick’s School is to also recount the history of the Presentation sisters in Waukon, Iowa, and indeed of Catholic education in Allamakee County. The five sisters who came in 1883 to serve the Irish immigrants in northeast Iowa were members of an Irish community which
Presentation Presence from 1950-2009 “We are grateful for the long and faithful service of the Sisters of the Presentation to St. Mary Parish and School. They touched many lives both by their direct involvement with our children in the classroom, and by their witness as women committed to religious life.” (Reverend Bruce Lawler Black and
Presentation Presence from 1887-1950, 1997-2010 When in 1887 Bishop Hennessy requested Mother Patricia to assume control of two schools built that year, Danbury and Farley, Iowa, she had only four sisters available for both places. No happy anticipation was hers, facing that difficult situation. “Send two sisters to each place for the present,” was the
Presentation Presence from 1887-1996 From the east windows of my home in Farley, Iowa, I look out onto a green space that once housed St. Joseph School. The doorway of the 1912 school is preserved in what is now known as Presentation Park. A lantern, symbolic Nano Nagle, stands tall atop a circular structure of
Remembering West Dubuque Expanding to West Dubuque Dubuque foundress, Mother Vincent Hennessy, and the three women who accompanied her from Ireland to Iowa wasted no time in expanding their services beyond their initial school in Key West. Two years after arriving in Dubuque, Mother Vincent’s group of sisters had grown to seven. A few days
Presentation Presence from 1892-1989 St. Matthew Parish in Clare, Iowa, was created to serve the Irish immigrants who lived along the banks of Lizard Creek. The population was mostly rural in the beginning with later parishioners working in Fort Dodge, Iowa, at various establishments. The parish was named after its first pastor, Father Matthew Norton. Sister Mary Benedict
Presentation Presence from 1875-1997 In February 1875 Mother Vincent Hennessy opened the front parlor of the Presentation Key West Convent to school children to begin the long story of Catholic education at St. Joseph, Key West, the first Presentation motherhouse in Dubuque. Approximately 20 students were present for the first day of classes. In July
