Presentation Sister in Ireland shares history with American visitor

By Caitlin V. Reidy 
Special to The CFP

What began as a quick visit to Cork, Ireland, resulted in a pilgrimage that changed the way I view Catholic education. 
When I traveled to Cork in August I decided to visit Nano Nagle Place, named for the foundress of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. More than 100 years ago, the Sisters of Presentation founded St. Bernard High School in Fitchburg, the school that I have taught in for five out of my six years as an educator.  
I was interested in visiting the place that not only made it possible for St. Bernard’s to exist, but that influenced the way Catholic education originally transformed Ireland, and eventually, the world. I reached out to Nano Nagle Place and was welcomed with the notable Irish hospitality that the Emerald Isle is known for. 
The events coordinator, Susannah Ahern, arranged for me to meet with one of the Sisters of the Presentation when I visited. When I arrived, it was a warm and sunny day, a bit unusual for Ireland’s usual overcast skies and drizzly weather. Sister Mary Dinneen, a Presentation Sister, greeted me at the door and immediately engaged me in a conversation, as if we had known each other for years. 
Sister Mary is an educator herself, and before retirement, had been principal at South Presentation Secondary School in Cork. She exclaimed that one of the most important aspects of being a principal had been investing in her teachers because she couldn’t have done her job without the work teachers do. She further went on to call herself “a student,” and a “lifelong learner of spirituality.”
Leading us into a cozy tea room, Sister Mary and I sat down and had a very deep and meaningful conversation about spirituality, education, and overcoming life’s obstacles. 
In 1955, when Sister Mary was 18 years old, she joined the Sisters of the Presentation. Now 84, she doesn’t feel her age, because of her interest in “life and living.” She emphasized that her walker is her “greatest friend” because it allows her to continue to be independent. She further stated that her memory is a gift. 
Sister Mary said that she was influenced to join the Sisters of Presentation by her upbringing. The youngest of seven, she lost her father at age 12. However, she recounted that one week, when she was about 9 or 10, her parents had “gone into town,” and left her in charge of “Kate,” a woman in poverty who would stop by weekly to “have a meal,” and “pick up sandwiches.” She said that her mother had told her to say, “Welcome, Kate,” and make sure that she was shown care and “hospitality.” Sister Mary said the memory of Kate stayed with her, because her mother had shown her how to treat someone in need in such a “dignified way.” Sister Mary then recounted the life of Nano Nagle.
Nano Nagle was born to a wealthy family in 1718 outside of Cork County, Ireland, in a small town named Ballygriffin. She was baptized Honora Nagle, but was eventually known as “Nano,” a nickname that her father had called her. Sister Mary noted that Nano was a very “privileged young woman,” and that she was the “eldest of seven.” She also said that Nano was educated, which was a luxury as a young, Catholic woman in Ireland. Nano was sent abroad to France with her sister Ann to be educated by the Benedictines. At the time, being sent out of Ireland to be educated would have been extremely risky, as it was illegal. 
Sister Mary painted a very different portrait of the early life of Nano Nagle than what I had originally learned. Nano, though dedicated to her mission of helping and educating the poor, experienced times of impatience. Nano went to live with her sister Ann in the late-1740s.  Nano had purchased expensive fabric to make an evening gown that her sister ended up selling to get money to buy medicine for the poor. 
“Nano was mad; she was crass,” Sister Mary proclaimed. Sister Mary told the story of Nano’s shortcomings and imperfections, and then how she reached a period of deep reflection and transformation.
According to Sister Mary, around 1749, Nano’s sister Ann died suddenly and soon after, her mother passed as well. This prompted a moment of reflection for Nano, who wondered what she should be doing with her life. She ended up going to France to “pray for Ireland,” and joined a convent. However, Nano felt “closed off from the poor.” Her spiritual director had inspired her to go to Cork, which was considered “the real place of poverty.” 
“Nano had seen the value of poor schools in France, which had given her a model in her head,” Sister Mary stated. At the time, penal law in Ireland was enacted, which meant that Catholics could not be educated. Being involved in the education of Irish Catholics could result in imprisonment and land taken away, according to Sister Mary. 
“Nano had to work carefully to start her school,” Sister Mary recounted. “She started with two people who could teach ordinary subjects.” Within 10 years, Nano Nagle was operating seven schools and teaching both boys and girls. 
“At the time, England owned Ireland. The Irish were treated horribly and experienced poverty that most cannot understand,” Sister Mary stated. She also said that Catholic schools were “banned,” because “when people are educated, they become liberated.” By being forbidden to get an education, the Irish would have been left in a cycle of oppression. 
Once again, Sister Mary emphasized that Nano Nagle was not perfect. “She was initially afraid of the children because she saw them as untamed and wild.” However, she cared deeply for her students, and wanted them “to grow well” and to learn. Sister Mary also stated that the teachers in Nano Nagle’s schools were “ordinary people, not necessarily trained teachers that we would have today.”
Sister Mary conveyed that Nano visited her schools every day in the hope that children would “grow well” because she felt it was her “mission” to do so. At night, Nano would visit the poor on the “streets of Cork,” which were “poorly lit.” Nano was said to travel the streets of Cork, with nothing but a lantern to guide her. To this day, Nano Nagle is known as the “Lady of the Lantern.” 
According to Sister Mary, Nano Nagle died at age 66 from what may have been tuberculosis. Her last words were: “Love one another as you have hitherto done.” Sister Mary further conveyed that Nano told her followers to “spend yourselves for the poor, as it will flourish after my death.” 
And so it has flourished. Sister Mary said that though the numbers of Presentation Sisters are declining, she doesn’t lose heart, because she feels that “lay people have an enormous amount to offer” in the spirit of Nano Nagle’s legacy. She said that the Sisters currently reside in about 24 countries, including the United States. Three of those schools that were founded by the Sisters of the Presentation continue in Northern Worcester County. In addition to St. Bernard High School, St. Bernard Elementary School in Fitchburg and St. Leo Elementary School in Leominster both continue to flourish as primary and middle schools. 
Before I left Nano Nagle Place, Sister Mary took me on a tour of the museum, where she showed me pieces of the original convent that Nano Nagle had built, as well as a letter she had written and her rosary beads. We ended up walking through the garden, and down to the burial ground, where the tomb of Nano Nagle is located. Placing my hand upon the tomb of Nano Nagle was not just the conclusion of an enlightening day, but a moment of a profound spiritual experience. 
The words that I have walked by countless times at St. Bernard’s, “Love One Another,” started to mean more as I began to fully understand their origin. Especially as an educator, I can relate to and appreciate the dedication that Nano Nagle had shown to her mission, despite her imperfections. The miniature lantern I had received at Mass on the first day as a teacher at St. Bernard’s High School symbolized a deeper connection with its Presentation roots. The uncanny connection between Nano Nagle’s devotion to Catholic education in a time during a tuberculosis outbreak and today’s COVID-19 pandemic became apparent. 
Though I originally went to Cork to gain a better understanding of the founder of the order of my school, I left with a deeper appreciation for not only the history of our community’s existence, but also the legacy that Nano Nagle left behind. Talking with Sister Mary didn’t just give me insight on the Venerable Nano Nagle, but also the influence she had on so many, and the importance of preserving her mission, even in difficult and unpredictable times.