Mother Presentation Hall and Snowball Lane are well known to parishioners of today as the School Gymnasium and the one-way lane that wraps behind it, but here's a bit about the namesakes of these Saint Bridget landmarks. 

About Mother Presentation & The Order of Sisters

Order Name 
Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (RSHM). Originated in France, was based out of Tarrytown, New York when Saint Bridget welcomed the Sisters, and is now headquartered in California. Notably, the order started Loyola Marymount Univeristy in Los Angeles. Their motto is “Ut Vitam Habeant,” (So that all may have life.)

Mother Presentation Murphy, RSHM
One of the five sisters who originally responded to Msgr. Byrne’s request, Mother Presentation was accompanied by Mother M. Gonzague (the first school principal), Mother M. Patricia, Madame St. Jude, and Sister Inez. Mother Presentation appears to have been the longest serving principal in the school’s history at 14 years from 1952 - 1966.

Honorifics
Those who had taken their final vows were referred to as “Mother,” teaching nuns as “Sister,” and those who had not yet take their final vows as “Madame.”

 

Snowball the Yellow Lab
Mother Presentation's constant companion was a Yellow Lab named Snowball. Snowball was frequently found around the campus and in the offices. There is a memorial plaque on the grass along Snowball Lane. 

Parishioner Recollection
Parishioner, Kathy Binns, recalls Mother Presentation vividly. “I had a healthy fear of her,” she says, “but I loved the Sisters, and knew from an early age that they had given up everything to serve God. That made a huge impression on me that still greatly influences my life.”
 

You can find more about Saint Bridget History in the recently published book about our parish, available through the parish office!