[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 6, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S4389]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONGRATULATING SISTERS OF THE PRESENTATION

 Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. President, with great honor, 
I congratulate the Aberdeen congregation of the Sisters of the 
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary who are in the process of 
celebrating their 125 years of service.
  Founded on December 25, 1775 by Nano Nagle in Cork, Ireland, with the 
mission to educate poor children and minister to the sick, the Sisters 
of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary retain a strong 
dedication to their founding principle of providing for people's unmet 
needs. Arriving in the Dakota Territory from Dublin, Ireland, in 1880, 
the Sisters of the Presentation endured the hardship of isolation and 
harsh weather to teach the children of the early settlers of South 
Dakota.
  Teaching and healing remain the foundation of the work performed by 
the Presentation Sisters. Today the sisters have expanded their work 
into less traditional forms. From teaching the young to counseling 
individuals in spiritual growth, the services provided by the Sisters 
have grown steadily outside the classroom to provide deeper healing. 
Assisting in such healing has also led the Sisters to become involved 
in a wide range of activities-from walking alongside those with HIV to 
facilitating healing and counsel to individuals after traumatic life 
events. In addition, the Sisters continue to sponsor Presentation 
College and Avera Health, along with having sisters actively engaged in 
those ministries.
  While recognizing the need to adapt to the changing needs of those 
they serve, the common thread that binds all the work the Sisters 
perform is their steadfast adherence to their apostolic tradition of 
joyfully going where the calls of need ring out most loudly. They are 
guided in this mission by the words of Bishop Walsh who advocated for 
the need to go where they are needed, but not necessarily wanted, and 
stay until they are wanted but no longer needed.
  I am proud to have this opportunity to honor the Aberdeen 
Congregation of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin 
Mary for 125 years of exemplary service. It is an honor for me to share 
with my colleagues the strong commitment the Sisters of the Blessed 
Virgin of Mary have demonstrated over these many years. I strongly 
commend their years of hard work and dedication, and I am very pleased 
that their substantial efforts are being publicly honored and 
celebrated.

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