Nano Nagle, our Irish foundress, began her ministry by teaching children when Ireland’s penal laws forbade it. Her belief in the power and importance of education has spanned the centuries and continues to shape the ministry of Presentation Sisters around the world. Through education people are better equipped to answer the challenges with which they are faced. Education is the underlying fabric that weaves itself into all of the Presentation ministries.
In the 1880’s, Bishop Martin Marty asked the Presentation Sisters in Ireland to come to Dakota Territory and teach children of the Lakota Sioux and European settlers. In 1886, Father Haire invited the Presentation Sisters to open the first school in Aberdeen. Two hundred thirty-two Presentation Sister teachers have touched the lives of over 300,000 students over the years.
Today the Presentation Sisters can be found ministering to the needs of those in all walks of life, yet they remain grounded in their first ministry: education. Their education ministry has grown from primary and secondary schools to include colleges, parishes, ESL classes, hospitals, seminars and other venues where education is a key component.
Presentation Sisters Catholic School Scholarship Applications
Education is the foundational element in our Sisters’ ministry efforts and has been a part of our Mission since we opened our first school in Aberdeen in 1886. As teachers, 232 Presentation Sisters have educated over 300,000 students in the region since that time.
As we have adapted to meet the needs of those we serve, our areas of ministry have shifted and we are no longer teaching at the elementary and secondary level in our Catholic schools. However, our commitment to Catholic education remains strong. In 2009, in partnership with donors, we established a Catholic Tuition Assistance Fund to foster Catholic educational opportunities in our Sioux Falls Diocese.
Each spring, a dedicated committee reads and discusses each submitted application form and essay regarding the value of Catholic education and how the scholarship would financially impact their family. For the 2022-2023 school year, 40 students received a $750 scholarship for Catholic education and three students received a $1,500 Catholic high school scholarship. We believe an investment in the Catholic education of area youth will nurture their Catholic values and provide a solid foundation for their futures.
We are pleased to announce that we will once again be accepting applications for Presentation Sisters Catholic School Scholarships. We will be awarding 40 – K-12 $750 tuition assistance scholarships and 3 – $1500 high school tuition scholarships for the 2023-2024 school year. Catholic School principals and priests in the Sioux Falls Diocese have received the application forms for the upcoming school year. We invite any interested student to complete the application process. Submission deadline is Friday, March 10, 2023. Links to download the application forms are below. If you have any questions, please contact Jane Schaffer at 605-229-8417 or jschaffer@presentationsisters.org.
Thank You! You have blessed our lives more that you can imagine!
Our family wanted to thank you so much for your gift of a scholarship to continue our child’s catholic education. We pray that we are able to someday pay it forward to someone else.