PBVM Living Charism 2017

Presentation Sisters

Administration Office
84 Presentation Way
New Windsor, NY 12553
Tel: 845-564-0513

Mount St. Joseph
64 Presentation Way
New Windsor, NY 12553
Tel: 845-564-6620

Presentation Convent
99 Church St
Leominster, MA 01453
Tel: 978-537-7108

Presentation Health Care Center
99 Church St.
Leominster, MA 01453
Tel: 978-537-7108

The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women. We carry out our mission of love and service through our many ministries with God’s people, especially poor women and children.

In 1997, the Sisters of the Presentation of Fitchburg,
Massachusetts, and the Sisters of the Presentation of
Newburgh, New York united to form one congregation now based in New Windsor, New York. Today our Sisters work in education, pastoral ministry, health care, and social services in California, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington, D.C. We are part of a worldwide network of 3000 Presentation Sisters and Presentation Associates through the International Presentation Association.   .                               
                                                                                            Nano Nagle Mural, Dingle, Ireland    

Our Beginnings The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary were founded in Ireland in 1775 by Nano Nagle. She felt she was called by God to bring the light of faith to the poor children of Cork.  The Penal Laws of the time forbade any form of Catholic instruction in Ireland, but Nano Nagle was willing to risk imprisonment and disgrace for the sake of the Gospel. Visiting the sick and homebound by night along Cork’s cobbled streets, she became known as the “Lady With the Lantern”. In time she gathered other women to form a new society of women religious dedicated to the service of the poor. Nano Nagle’s small band of women, originally named the Society of Charitable Instruction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, later became known as the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and Newburgh, New York In September, 1874, twelve brave Presentation Sisters from Ireland, led by Mother Joseph Hickey, responded to an invitation to teach the children of poor Irish immigrants at Saint Michael’s parish in New York City. Because many of the children’s parents had died, St. Michael’s soon opened an orphanage on Staten Island, also staffed by Presentation Sisters. In 1884, this became the home of the newly etablished Sisters of the Presentation of Staten Island. In 1886, Mother Magdalen Keating set out from Staten Island with a small group of Sisters to begin a new foundation in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The Sisters eventually opened schools and other ministries in other areas of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. In 1921, Presentation Sisters from St. Michael’s purchased property near the city of Newburgh, New York.  Later this site, Mount Saint Joseph, became the motherhouse of the Sisters of the Presentation of Newburgh.  In July, 1997, after six years of study and preparation, the Fitchburg and Newburgh Presentation congregations became one. 

On June 8 2018, Nora Cronin Presentation Academy (NCPA) held its eight annual graduation ceremony at St. Francis of Assisi in Newburgh, NY where faculty, alumni, and Sisters watched 15 young girls walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. Many of which were given awards from the State of New York Office, Archdioceses of New York and NCPA for all their dedication not only in the classroom, but in the community.

Sister Yliana, principal believes that Middle Grade graduation is always a very important ceremony in the life of the school. The goal of NCPA is to continue breaking the cycle of poverty through education. This goal is made possible through the generosity of people who believe in the goals of the school for low-income girls in the city of Newburgh. NCPA has helped to turn the dreams of these families into reality. Statistics show that educating a girl helps to not only educate a family, but educate the community and even a nation.

The faculty, alumni, and Sisters are proud that all of the graduates go on to local high schools and many of them are attending college, serving in the armed forces or pursuing post-high school education. Sr. Yliana gave a special thanks to her Religious Congregation, the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, members of the Board of Trustees of the school both past and present, to the Dominican Sisters of Hope, to the faculty, to our volunteers, our alumnae, our donors, and to the parents of our students. All of you are a very special part of the NCPA family.

PBVM Statement on Immigration Reform

STATEMENT JUNE 21, 2018

We, Presentation Sisters across the USA, want to associate ourselves with the Statements by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the US Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Maryknoll Office of Global Concern about the separation of immigrant children from their parents.  Since 1854 we have worked with immigrants in many ways and continue to do so today.

We call for a comprehensive immigration reform that will respect the dignity of all peoples. None of the current immigration bills are acceptable. As a country of immigrants we are keenly aware that people have rights to asylum, freedom from fear, and the path to citizenship. These rights cannot be held hostage to funding any wall.