The Province organised a Celebratory Meal for the Principals, Deputy Principals and Chairpersons of our voluntary Catholic secondary schools. The meal took place on 28th September 2007 at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Athlone. The exercise of trusteeship for these schools will transfer to CEIST towards the end of this school year, in May 2008.

The Provincial Leadership Team wanted to thank the schools, through their senior management and Boards of Management, for their faithfulness to the vision of Nano Nagle, for striving to live out those values every day in the schools and for creating and animating genuine Christian communities in every school. They also wanted to acknowledge and celebrate the work of the Education Office in supporting the schools and cultivating a commitment to the Education Philosophy of the Presentation Sisters.

Our guests, however, turned the tables on the Province! They wished to thank the province for all of the support they had received over the years. Speaking on behalf of the guests, Siobhan Corry and Padraig Byrne expressed their gratitude to have had the opportunity to be part of the Presentation family and stressed the importance of that sense of family. They appreciated that the Province, through the Education Office, had set out to create that sense of belonging and commitment to the vision of Nano Nagle and to collaborate with the the staff of the schools and senior management as partners on the journey.  

They made presentations to Evelyn Byrne, Director of the Education Office and Noel Keating, Education Officer, which were deeply appreciated. They concluded by making a special presentation of a wonderful piece of art to the Provincialate in Athlone. The work, in stained glass, represents a sail and symbolised the journey we had taken together over the years.

The evening was a huge success; the excellent meal was followed by a social occasion which went on into the small hours!