More than 120 students and educators from 17 Presentation schools across Australia gathered in Perth for three days of faith, leadership and formation, inspired by the enduring legacy of Venerable Nano Nagle and the Presentation Sisters. Source: The Record.
The Nagle Education Alliance of Australia (NEAA) Student Conference at Iona Presentation College in Mosman Park brought the members of the Australian Presentation community together under the theme “Carriers of the Lantern”.
Iona’s principal and president of NEAA, Robyn Miller, said it was a privilege to see Presentation students from across Australia come together, united by a shared faith and heritage.
“Their passion and sense of purpose give us great confidence that Nano Nagle’s light will continue to shine brightly for generations to come,” Ms Miller said.
The theme drew inspiration from Venerable Nano Nagle, foundress of the Presentation Sisters, who became known as the “Lady of the Lantern” as she walked the streets of Cork, Ireland, caring for those experiencing poverty and providing education to children at a time when doing so placed her at considerable personal risk.
More than two centuries later, the lantern remains a powerful symbol of her response to the Gospel mission and an invitation to young people to continue bringing the light of Christ to others through compassion, courage, justice and service.
The conference invited students to consider how Venerable Nano Nagle’s vision can continue to find expression in contemporary Catholic education and, importantly, how they can become carriers of that vision themselves.
Prayer and ritual were woven throughout the program via immersive learning, creative workshops, cultural experiences, leadership activities and collaboration between schools.
Through these experiences, students were encouraged not simply to learn about Presentation history, but to consider how the values at the heart of Venerable Nano Nagle’s vision – including hospitality, simplicity, compassion and justice – can shape the way they respond to the needs of their own communities.
As student delegate Samara said: “The conference showed me that the Presentation spirit can look different in everyone, but it is something we each have a responsibility to carry forward.”
FULL STORY
Carriers of the Lantern: carrying Venerable Nano Nagle’s legacy forward (The Record)
