Annunciation of Mary can be a time
to reflect on mystical moments of God

The angel Gabriel greets Mary in this church window depicting the Annunciation. (CNS photo from Crosiers)

Karl Rahner believed that we are all called to be mystics, experiencing union with God in daily life. This challenges the idea that mystical experiences only come in quiet spaces of prayer and contemplation. I began pondering this in Mary’s life as we celebrate her Annunciation experience. In doing this, I identified three important mystical moments: her experience of being presented in the temple by her parents at age 3, the Annunciation by an angel of her new role, and Mary’s meeting with Elizabeth when she sang the Magnificat.

Granted, her presentation in the temple is a legend found in the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James, but it may truly have been a reality for the 3-year-old Mary. Children, as we know, even from our personal experience, often have mystical experiences of God, so it is not so far-fetched to think this of Mary. Her parents, Anne and Joachim, had taken Mary to the temple to present her to God as an offering of thanksgiving and of recognizing she belonged to God — a kind of promise made in her name that she would live her life in total faithfulness to God. 

According to the legend, Mary eagerly climbed the steps of the temple, and when the priest received her and blessed her, she “danced with her feet.” Being too young to articulate her joy in words, she danced because it was the only way she could express her ecstatic joy in God’s love for her. Her entire being, spirit and body, was overshadowed, enlivened by the responsive spirit alive in her. Her dancing is a reminder to us that as bodily beings, when filled with ecstatic joy or awe, when no words can adequately express deeply felt emotions, the body moves without resistance to overwhelming spiritual impetus.

Mechthild of Magdeburg, one Christian mystic, describes well her recognition of God’s overshadowing Spirit moving her from within: “I cannot dance, O Lord, / Unless You lead me. / If you wish me to leap joyfully, / Let me see You dance and sing — / Then I will leap into Love.”

Mystical moments can be experienced in dance, and also at times of unexpected encounters and conversations that become revelations of our own identity, a mystery at times even to ourselves. Being overshadowed by God’s Spirit we suddenly come to know who we are, alive in God at a deep level that leads us into silence, tears, dance or desire for deeper wisdom.

I wondered if Mary’s childhood experience of the presentation in the temple became clearer to her when an angel appeared with God’s request. In this Annunciation, God revealed to her a destiny and identity she could not have imagined. Even as blessed and beloved of God, she wondered how this could be, how she could, through God’s choice, become the mother of the Messiah, Jesus?

Statues of the archangel Gabriel and Mary depict the Annunciation
outside St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (OSV News/Megan Marley)

This time of visitation, unlike in the temple, the Spirit gave her words, “How shall this be done since I do not know man?” Her words reveal intuitive recognition of the depth and risk of vulnerability her body and spirit would endure if she surrendered to God’s choice.  

The angel assured her that the Spirit would overshadow and empower her to live in these vulnerabilities. Nothing is impossible with God. “I am the handmaid of the Lord” was the only response Mary could give. Her encounter with the living God revealed a deep knowing of herself, living in God’s mystery. 

As I reflected on Mary’s response, it felt to me to be both a personal “yes,” and also a communal one — a covenantal response of her people. For me, she somehow stood as Moses had, a spokesperson for the covenant of her people with God, a promise of trusting in God’s faithfulness. It is not unlike each of us. In every encounter and yes to God, we also stand as the entire family of God.

Mary’s third mystical moment recorded in Scripture was her encounter with Elizabeth. In this meeting, the personal and communal dimensions were inseparable, revealed in the mutual recognition and response between the two women. Mary had been sent by the power of the Holy Spirit to Elizabeth both in service and as a messenger of Good News.  When they embraced, Elizabeth intuitively and physically knew that Mary was more than a cousin when her own baby leapt within her. Elizabeth seemed to sense that Mary represented God’s people and yet asked, “How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” 

Mary, empowered once again by the Spirit, responded with song. It poured out from her being, soul and spirit, in ecstatic joy, sung with both a personal and communal voice. “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” The Magnificat, confirmed God’s faithfulness to the lowly, forgotten and powerless, and Mary’s willingness — and that of her people — to believe in and live faithful to God no matter the vulnerabilities. She acknowledges and accepts to labor with the Spirit to shape Jesus’ life as a living sign of God’s faithfulness and the reign already present in him.

This prophetic song was sung in ecstasy and hope, and its living out in real time fulfilled Mary’s Annunciation, her intuition of the sufferings of vulnerability lived in hope.

For me and maybe for each of us, the Annunciation is a time to reflect on our own mystical moments of God in prayer and in encounters, revealing God’s faithful love and presence in life. Each of us, like Mary, stands for God’s family, witnessing God’s love and faithfulness, and embracing our role as messengers of this Good News.

[Sister Joyce Meyer is a member of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is on the boards of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Medicines for Humanity and the International Foundation of the Good Shepherd Sisters and has served as international liaison to women religious for Global Sisters Report since January 2014.]

2024-2025 Annual Donor Report

A Message to our Presentation Family

This past year we focused on the attribute of simplicity. Often overlooked, this quality is foundational to living a more contemplative life. Everything we own or  acquire necessarily needs to be tended. The more we have, the more we must steward. Obviously, we need some things to make our lives flow easier; however, there comes a tipping point when the energy needed to steward is more than the benefit received. We hope you found our deeper reflection upon simplicity helpful to you.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…

Prayer  Mission  Charism

Prayer is the essence of our lives; it grounds us and brings us into a deep listening with God, a God who is always within and around us. Prayer keeps us attentive to the gentle threads of hope and grace that weave through our daily lives. In this space, we honor the sacredness of all lives, caring for one another and for our Earth, remembering that everything and everyone is interconnected. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…

Thank You Partners

We are grateful to the donors listed in this annual report, as well as the individuals who prefer to remain anonymous, for their partnership over the past year. The efforts of many coming together make it possible to do what none of us could do alone. It is through your prayerful and financial support that we are able to continue our work for justice and ease the burdens that others bear, inspiring hope for a brighter future. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…

Catholic School Scholarship

Education is the key to a just and merciful world, now and in the future.

Since our congregational foundation in 1775 and our arrival in Dakota Territory in 1886, education has been and continues to be an essential element woven into who we are.

As the teachings of Jesus remain the cornerstone of Catholic education, our Sisters are committed to uphold and advance this mission, believing that life-long formation in the faith is essential for each generation.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…

Laudato Si’ Ministry

The Laudato Si’ ministry continues to grow and transform. Enhancing the integral ecology of the prairie landscape, we work to steward the land, bringing out more of its natural beauty and biodiversity within our local terrain.

Collaboration is essential in this ministry. Our efforts among organizations intertwine, including the educational and natural resource conservation spheres. We are grateful to not only learn from others, but to also share our knowledge. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…

Justice is Our Way of Life

Every moment is an opportunity to demonstrate that justice is our way of life. Whether it be focusing on care of creation, working on right relationships or  encouraging peacemaking, justice is the core of our Mission as Presentation Sisters. But we know we cannot do this work alone, we must join and work together, using the skills and interests of many to implement strategies that address different social justice issues..  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…

Vocation Outreach Ministry

Vocational calls can lead one to marriage, single life, priesthood or religious life. But how does one know if this is the right path to which God is calling them? Spending time in prayerful discernment is one way an individual may seek answers. They may also seek the advice of family or friends, talk to a member of the clergy or oftentimes they turn to social media in search of that deeper connection in life.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…

 “Only in the Heart of Jesus
do we discover
our authentic humanity
as children of God,
brothers and sisters
of one another.”
– POPE LEO XIV

Vocation Outreach Ministry

What is God’s Call?

This question may be asked numerous times throughout each person’s life. At some point, the question may include … am I called to marriage, single life,  priesthood or religious life? How do I know? What should I be listening for?

If you are wondering about God’s call and invitation, you may begin your journey of discernment by simply trying to listen to God during your prayer.

“Saint Augustine urges us to pay attention and to listen to the inner teacher, the voice that speaks from within all of us. It is within our hearts where God speaks to us.” | Pope Leo XIV

We believe that God created each of us with special gifts to share with the world. When we identify our own gifts, we are led to recognize how we are invited by God to serve. When discerning our vocation or any life decision, we honor God’s call by seeking ways that our gifts serve others.

Our South Dakota Congregation is inter-connected to other Presentation Sisters’ Congregations throughout the world who serve on five continents. There are dozens of women in various stages of formation to become Presentation Sisters. Some of them live in places where they risk persecution for their decision to serve as a sister. THEY SAID YES! We all work together to enrich and support the spiritual and personal growth of each person, and we ask for your prayers as
women continue to answer the call.

Our Vocation Ministry, in collaboration with Presentation Sisters and Presentation People across North America, offers a variety of opportunities, both in person and online, for single women ages 18-45 to meet Sisters and discern a vocation to religious life.

Please contact us for more information.

You will know your vocation
by the joy that it brings you.
~ Dorothy Day

Justice is Our Way of Life

Every moment is an opportunity to demonstrate that justice is our way of life. Whether it be focusing on care of creation, working on right relationships or encouraging peacemaking, justice is the core of our Mission as Presentation Sisters. But we know we cannot do this work alone, we must join and work together, using the skills and interests of many to implement strategies that address different social justice issues.

We strive to immerse Presentation People (Sisters, cojourners, employees and friends for justice) more deeply in the work of promoting justice, both locally and globally. We look to partner with those who are often working on similar issues, such as human trafficking and immigration reform. We are able to share with one another our successes and challenges, and we gain valuable skills and knowledge through this collaboration.

Globally we belong to the International Presentation Association (IPA). This global network includes Justice Contacts, Presentation Sisters, and other Presentation People who believe in the value of human rights. We work together, sharing local and global stories of impact, so we can amplify the voice of those marginalized and most vulnerable.

Through IPA, we are a Non- Governmental Organization (NGO) member of the United Nations. Through this association, we are able to join other groups who share our dedication to peace, justice and integrity to all of creation. These partnerships aid in promotion and support of the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. These goals offer a foundation for ending poverty and hunger, caring for the land and water, creating gender equality, building more accountable institutions, and acting to address climate change.

Sponsorship of Billboard
We collaborate with the Benedictine Sisters in Watertown, SD, in raising awareness of trafficking in our region. This new billboard message will rotate throughout eastern South Dakota.  If you suspect someone is being trafficked, please call 911, 605-261-1880, the National Hotline at 1-888-3737-888 or text 233733.

Andrea Pierce, Michigan, assisted Pax Christi Members Mary Beth DiMarco, Maine, Carrie Hansen, South Dakota, and Melissa Chapman Skinner (not pictured), North Dakota, in developing and leading the Land Acknowledgement, the Indigenous Opening Prayer, and workshop, “Broken treaties, broken land: Restoring relationships, restoring the Earth,” for the Pax Christi National Conference.

We encourage prayer and dialogue to build awareness of where change is most needed in our world today.

Catholic School Scholarship

Education is the key to a just and merciful world, now and in the future.

Since our congregational foundation in 1775 and our arrival in Dakota Territory in 1886, education has been and continues to be an essential element woven into who we are.

As the teachings of Jesus remain the cornerstone of Catholic education, our Sisters are committed to uphold and advance this mission, believing that life-long formation in the faith is essential for each generation.

To continue the tradition of Catholic education, since 2009, we, along with assistance from generous partners, have provided scholarships each year to assist students who attend, or desire to attend, a Catholic school in the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese. Over 100 students applied for scholarship assistance this past year. It is our hope that these recipients will continue the legacy of our foundress Nano Nagle and the mission and charism of the Presentation Sisters by living out their own individual call to serve those in need.

Each year a dedicated committee of sisters, priests, cojourners and associates read and discuss each application and essay regarding the value of Catholic education and how the scholarship would financially impact their family. This year forty $1,000 scholarships were awarded to students enrolled in K-12 schools, and six $2,000 scholarships for two high school students at each of the three Catholic high schools.

Throughout the past 15 years, we are proud to have provided scholarship assistance, varying from $500 to $2,000, to over 600 students. We believe investing in the Catholic education of area youth will nurture their Catholic values and provide a solid foundation for their futures.

We invite you to CLICK HERE to learn more about these scholarships and to view our 2025-2026 scholarship recipients.

“Thank you for the scholarship
towards my child’s school
tuition. This scholarship will
help us out financially, but also
spiritually, knowing that our
decision to have our children in
Catholic Schools is supported
by the larger community.”
– PARENT

“Your support helps remind me that we are not alone. You’ve given us more than just financial help, you’ve given us a sense of stability, community and faith in the future. 
– PARENT

“Your kindness and commitment
to families like mine are a living
reflection of the values we
uphold. The love and generosity
you show through this ministry
have real effects. I see it every
day in my child’s growth,
love of learning and growing
connection to faith.”
– PARENT

Laudato Si’ Ministry

The Laudato Si’ ministry continues to grow and transform. Enhancing the integral ecology of the prairie landscape, we work to steward the land, bringing out more of its natural beauty and biodiversity within our local terrain.

Collaboration is essential in this ministry. Our efforts among organizations intertwine, including the educational and natural resource conservation spheres. We are grateful to not only learn from others, but to also share our knowledge. Through our work with area elementary schools and local libraries, we are able to share our mission and devotion in caring for not only one another, but also our Earth with people of all ages.

Laudato Si’ is also involved with several conservation organizations who have walked alongside us for these past five years. We are forever grateful as they continue to share their expertise and experiences with us.

In early 2025, the Prairie Restoration project “got its wings,” and formally registered as a Monarch Waystation. These Waystations provide the butterflies a resting spot, so they may take a break and “re-nourish” with area resources along their cross-country, multi-generational migration. The Prairie Restoration area includes a sufficient milkweed population, as well as other pollinator friendly nectar plants, providing essential food and habitat to sustain these butterflies while they pass through.

This past year we also registered as a St. Kateri Habitat, upholding the St. Kateri Conservation Center’s desire for habitat areas to be not just materially beneficial for plants and wildlife, but rather sanctuaries, without four walls, where we can nourish both the Earth and our souls.

We invite you to learn more about Laudato Si’ and the Restoration Project by CLICKING HERE.

We were excited to share the experience of planting forbs on the land with local children.

Dear Presentation Family,

This past year we focused on the attribute of simplicity. Often overlooked, this quality is foundational to living a more contemplative life. Everything we own or acquire necessarily needs to be tended. The more we have, the more we must steward. Obviously, we need some things to make our lives flow easier; however, there comes a tipping point when the energy needed to steward is more than the benefit received. We hope you found our deeper reflection upon simplicity helpful to you. Perhaps your desire to intentionally create a space for quiet was enhanced. Research shows us that by purposefully setting aside times of quiet or silence during the day may renew our inner self. We encourage you to continue to reflect on how you can foster and deepen the quiet within yourself and your home. Be assured the Sisters join you in that aspiration.

As we look ahead to 2026, we will be focusing on “tapestry.” Imagine the beauty of a tapestry, the weaving of many threads, how the colors complement and enhance one another. In the tapestry, the diversity of colors is held together as one magnificent whole.

When seen from the reverse side, the tapestry might appear as a series of endless knots. Sometimes our lives are like that. We may be more conscious of the knots. We trust that God is seeing the other side and marvels at the beauty of our lives. This is a good reminder that we, too, ought to join God in gazing upon our lives with love and gentleness as we are all still a work in progress.

We also wanted to focus on tapestry because the fabric of our society is frayed at this time. Each of us, as followers of Christ, are commissioned to step into the fray, be willing to listen fully to the concerns of the other and seek to build bridges or to begin the process of mending the fabric of who we are together. Let us hold one another in prayer that we might have our vision healed and behold one another as God beholds us.

“In the tapestry
of life, we are all
connected. Each one
of us is a gift to those
around us, helping each
other to be who we
are, weaving a perfect
picture together.”
~ Anita Moorjani

In peace and mercy

Sister Mary Thomas
Congregational President

Brooke Nicholson
Director of Mission Development