Founding In Ireland

Our roots are Irish and spring from the spirit and zeal of an Irish woman, Nano Nagle (in photo-far left) , who redirected her life and wealth to the needs of the most desperate of her people. Nano devoted her days to educating Irish children, degraded by colonial laws designed to oppress and punish Catholics. Night-time ministries to poverty-ridden elderly and sick in her hometown gave Nano the nickname The Lady with the Lantern. Nano was a disciplined and holy woman whose intense spiritual life fired her to defy the threats of the powerful for the sake of the downtrodden Irish poor.

Our contemporary roots are rural Midwest, merging prairie hospitality and passion for the things of God with Nano's Irish zeal—a zesty combination.

Roots In South Dakota

In the late 19th century, three Presentation Sisters left Ireland for the American West. These daring women responded to the call to come to Dakota Territory to educate children of the Lakota Sioux and European settlers. As the towns grew, parish schools flourished, and so did the new Dakota community of Presentation religious women. A women's college, Presentation College, now co-ed, was a leader in providing teachers and nurses to the rural area.

At the turn of the century, a devastating diphtheria epidemic called for more pioneering—that this teaching order should branch out into healthcare for the sake of the desperate. And they did! From that leap in faith grew Catholic hospitals, long term care facilities, home health and an array of medical education programs. Many "firsts" in healthcare in South Dakota are credited to the Presentation Sisters. Today, Avera Health, our healthcare ministry, is a system of more than one hundred partners caring together for people of the rural region.

With zeal for the most helpless, and with professional finesse, we work for dignity, self-sufficiency and justice. A mark of this religious community is our joyful service and collaboration in rural communities.