Presentation Sisters have elected new Congregational Leader

The Presentation Sisters have announced the election of Sr Sharon Fagan as their new Congregational Leader. Sr Sharon, a native of St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada served as Assistant Congregational Leader on the outgoing Congregational Leadership Team (2018 – 2024).

Sharon’s ministries in Canada included teaching elementary school children, nursing as a hospital staff nurse, a community health nurse, a nursing supervisor the administrator of Presentation Emergency Shelter for Children, and the Director of Nursing at Presentation Motherhouse. As a member of the Newfoundland Congregation Sharon served for twelve years as a counsellor on their Congregational Leadership Team and eight years as Congregational Leader.

This election took place the 10 th Congregational Gathering of the Presentation Sisters which was held in Mount St Anne’s Retreat and Conference Centre, Killenard, Co Laois.

Forty-nine Sisters from Ireland and across the world came as delegates to this international meeting on behalf of over nine hundred Presentation Sisters worldwide. They began on 3 March 2024 and will conclude their Gathering on Saturday 23 March 2024. They came together to reflect on how to respond to the needs and challenges of today’s world, and to elect a new leadership team.

The delegates also elected a Congregational Council to work alongside the Leader: Srs Anne O’Leary (USA Unit), Sheila De Sa (India South Unit), Miriam Martin (Newfoundland and Labrador Unit) and Joy Puerta (Philippines Unit). Sr Anne O’Leary was subsequently elected as Assistant Congregational Leader.

Anne’s ministry work has included teaching religious education and music at secondary level; and

theology, religious studies, education, scripture and spirituality at tertiary level in Ireland and the United

States. Anne also served as a member of the Congregational Leadership Team from 2012 – 2018.

She is currently serving as associate professor of sacred scripture and Director of the MA Sacred Scripture

program at the Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio. Sheila’s ministry work has included teaching in

five Diocesan schools in Goa for nearly 20 years. Sheila was on the Circle Leadership Team in Goa, India

for five years.

She is currently serving on the Unit Leadership Team in the India South Unit. Miriam’s

ministry work includes university chaplaincy, pastoral ministry, and diocesan liturgical ministry.

Completing Graduate Studies in Practical Theology and Adult Education led her into ministry as a

Professor at Saint Paul University in Ottawa where she taught, developed, and administrated

Transformative Leadership Programs for 27 years.

Miriam also served for eight years as counsellor on the

Newfoundland Congregational Leadership Team. Joy has been a Presentation Sister for 18 years and has been involved in administration work in school ministries in the Philippines. She has been a member of the Leadership Team in her Unit for 7 years, and the Unit Leader for the last 2 years. She also works in the accompaniment of candidates in initial formation.

The new leader, Sr Sharon commented: “In these challenging times, we the Congregational Leadership

Team, desire to serve the Congregation in the spirit of our Founder, Nano Nagle, who brought hope and

light into a world that is experiencing great vulnerability.”