Leadership Team
Province Leadership Team (2025 to 2029)
On the 1st August 2025 the new Provincial Leadership Team for the North East Province took up post.
We warmly welcome the Provincial Leader: Sr. Ann Marie Quinn and Council Members: Srs. Bernadette Flanagan, Anne Marie Farragher, and Marion O’Raw.
From the Vision Statement, of the Leadership Team (August 2025)
Beckoned by Nano’s spirit,
we as mná feasa (wise women)
continue to respond:
To the wild unfinished edges of our earth home
To the unfolding of religious life, and
To our evolving Congregation:
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
And streams in the wasteland (Is 43: 18-19)
We are called to be open to Moments of Grace
To Letting Go what no longer serves the Mission CG2024.
Province Leadership Team (2020 to 2025)
‘Living in these times of great uncertainty we dwell in possibility faithful to the promise of the fullness of life’.
We have experienced this fullness of life in our term as your Leadership Team, and we know that you have also shared in this life and helped to create it with us. Together we explored possibilities with you, some became reality and some never saw the light of day. Our wish for you is that you will continue to experience life in all its fullness. We pray that the blessing of ‘eldership’ which is ours in abundance as a Province community, will bring new freedom to go to the ‘wild unfinished edges’ to explore possibilities and there to experience ‘Mystery’.
We will hold all of you in our hearts and prayers as we take our leave of Acorn Centre on July 31st, 2025.
On the 7th May 2020 the new Provincial Leadership Team for the North East Province was announced.
We warmly welcome:
Provincial Leader: Sr. Mary Hanrahan and Council Members: Srs. Grace Redmond (Assistant Provincial Leader), Anne Marie Farragher, Frances Murphy, Concepta O’Brien and Lillie O’ Reilly.
From the Vision Statement, of the Leadership Team (August 2020)
Living in these times of great uncertainty
We dwell in possibility
Faithful to the promise of the fullness of life.
“I have come that you may have life and have it to the full”. (John 10:10)
Called to live as consecrated women, we strive to witness to joyful, reflective, compassionate service, constantly calling ourselves to be aware of, and where possible to help those who find themselves on the edge, forgotten and neglected.
“The quality of our presence, our prayerfulness, and the gift of our lives, are of untold value for Presentation life and mission” ~ Our Way of Life, C11.
We are sustained in our commitment by our contemplative practices, and our life and relationships in community.
Together with Presentation People everywhere, we continue to share in the dream of Nano Nagle (Founder of the Presentation Congregation) to:
Live Contemplatively ~ Walk Lightly on the Earth ~ Witness Prophetically
(Our Congregational Gathering, (CG2018).
We thank Anne Marie, Concepta, Frances, Grace, Lillie and Mary, for accepting leadership of the province at this time and we wish them every blessing in their new roles.
Our Way of Life
The call to communion in life and mission is rooted in the Gospel.
It gives shape to our understanding of leadership in the Congregation as spiritual, relational, and organisational.
Believing that the Spirit is manifest in each of us, we recognise that leadership is exercised among us in many ways for the good of the whole community of life.
Our Way of Life, C43
Province Leadership Team (2015 to 2020)
On January 1st 2015, the North East Province (NEP) came into being resulting from the coming together of the Northern and South East Provinces. A new Leadership Team (Sisters Anne Codd, Bernadette Flanagan, Concepta O’Brien, Mary Rossiter, Maura Murphy and Margarita Ryan (Provincial Leader)) was mandated to lead the newly formed North East Province.
“From the outset we were acutely aware of the responsibility to draw our new Province together in communion and to engender a culture of hope in a time of uncertainty […] we took courage from our belief that, in the heart of each one of us a stronger more compelling energy draws us into the eternal, continuous mystery of God. And it was this belief that steadied and reassured us. […] We were launching something new, but, the challenge was still the same – to remain authentic and single minded in living lives grounded in the call of the Gospel and in promoting the Vision and Direction of our Congregation. It was from this perspective that we, as Team, took on our role of service …”. – (Margarita Ryan, Provincial Leader, Province Report: Our Journey Together in Hope, April 2020)
In June 2020 the first Leadership Team for the newly formed Province completed their 5 year term of office (2015-2020) as mandated.
Now a new Team continue in Nano’s footsteps.
Margarita Ryan
Margarita has always had a passion for the promotion of Nano Nagle’s charism and values and she pursued this passion throughout her years as teacher and school Principal. As a founding member, and later Director of CEIST her motivation was to ensure that the Catholic ethos would be preserved and maintained in our secondary schools. Margarita’s interests include music and wild flora. She regards her position as Provincial Leader as an opportunity to provide a service based on compassion and love.
Mary Rossiter
Mary is a native of Carlow and a past pupil of the Presentation schools in the town. Mary entered in 1975 having worked with Aer Lingus at Dublin Airport. On completion of studies Mary taught in second level schools within the then Northern province and in Zambia. Prior to the establishment of CEIST Mary ministered in the area of faith development in all second level schools of the province. Before her appointment to the leadership team Mary was with the interprovincial community in Mountmellick and provincial bursar. Mary enjoys reading and craft work especially crochet. Her favourite form of exercise is walking. She is based in the Athlone community
Concepta O’Brien
Before joining the leadership team of the North East Province Concepta O’Brien was the Clondalkin community and vocation’s directress for the former South East Province. Previous to that time Concepta spent many happy years teaching science at primary, second and third level. Her area was biology and religion. Concepta also served on two previous leadership teams for the South East Province. Her hobbies include, sport, reading, music, cooking to name but a few.
Maura Murphy
Before joining the Leadership Team in the North East Province Maura Murphy was Local Leader in Presentation Convent Parnell Street Kilkenny. Previous to that Maura spent many interesting and fruitful years in Primary Education both as teacher and Principal. One of the greatest joys of her teaching career was, on occasion, seeing the light of understanding dawn on the eager faces of her pupils.
Bernadette Flanagan
Before joining the Leadership Team for the Northeast Presentation Province, Bernadette Flanagan was Associate Professor of Spirituality at All Hallows College (Dublin City University). There she enjoyed forwarding Nano Nagle’s vision for a holistic education through introducing the study of spirituality for a range of professions – nursing, teaching, psychotherapy, social care. Bernadette has explored the meaning of Nano Nagle’s insights for today in her book, Embracing Solitude: Women and New Monasticism.
Anne Codd
Anne grew up near Wexford town, in the ‘sunny south east’. After secondary school in St Mary’s Mountmellick, in 1966, she joined the Presentation Sisters at Mount St Anne’s. Down the years, Anne has been involved in a variety of educational, pastoral and community ministries, mostly in Ireland. It has been her privilege to facilitate Assemblies of the Sisters in Zambia, Pakistan, US and UK. Anne especially enjoys reading, swimming, indoor and outdoor activity, music and conversation – and life!
