Nano Nagle, the children’s friend, was the first Presentation nun. She founded the

Presentation Order on Christmas Eve, 1775. She was born in 1718, at Ballygriffin, near Mallow. She had four sisters and two brothers.

When Nano was a little girl there were no schools in Ireland for Catholic children, because of the Penal Laws. Nano was taught in her own home. She also attended the local "Hedge School Masters" classes.

While still very young her parents decided to send her to France to be educated. She was smuggled out in the hold of a cargo boat. It was a great crime in those days for a Catholic to send his children abroad to be educated. Later her sister Ann joined her.

Her father sent her so much money that she never wanted for anything. She moved around in the highest society and in a short time became the slave of pleasure and gave herself up to a frivolous life but deep down in her soul she was not happy.

At the age of 28, on the death of her father, Nano and Ann returned to Ireland to live with their mother who now resided in Dublin. Nano did not become a saint overnight. At this time a new call reached Nano’s heart – the call of the poor. She thought for hours on the sorry state of her own Irish people, crushed by the Penal Laws. Slowly the spark of God’s love took flame in her heart. Nano was changed forever. Soon her beloved Ann died, and with a brave effort she rallied her spirit to go on. Another sorrow soon followed when her mother died.

Her hut-school flourished. Later she rented another hut in the North of the city, and divided her time between the two schools. Her brother Joseph found out by accident about her "schools" and Nano reassured him that God would protect them. From then on both Joseph and her uncle who was a wealthy man, helped her all they could. In a short time she had seven little schools in the city, five for girls and two for boys. They were just bare rooms and the children sat on the floors and were eager and glad to learn. Classes ran from 8a.m. to 6p.m. A few brave ladies joined to help Nano and all still worked in secret. Soon all her money began to run out as she gave to the poor. She then went onto the streets to beg for the children and the poor. She met with many insults and people jeered at her in the streets calling her "the old beggar". Despite her hardships, Nano never acted the "down-and-out". She was a most cheerful and thoughtful person. She was a consoling angel to all, in sickness, in want or in despair. Often drenched through by winter rains, racked by persistent coughing and spent in body, she was still the same dauntless woman of God.

A great fear came over her as her strength continued to fail. What would become of her schools on her death? She must get sisters from France to come to Ireland to continue her work. She spent most of the money her brother had left her in bringing the Ursuline Sisters to Cork, in 1771. However this was an enclosed order and they could not visit the homes of the poor. With her health growing steadily worse, she at last decided to found a Congregation of her own to teach and look after her beloved poor. At first she called her Order Sisters of Charitable Instruction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but later, the name was changed to Sisters of the Presentation of Our Blessed Lady.

Nano herself was the first to take her vows as a Presentation Nun, together with three companions who joined her in her work for souls. She took the name of Sister Mary John of God. But owing to the Penal Laws she never wore the religious habit. Nano lived only nine years after having founded the Order. She developed an infection in her eyes, which affected her sight. Her lungs were badly diseased; her feet were bruised and sore from constant walking and her knees covered with ulcers from her many hours of kneeling before the Tabernacle. – "If I could be of service in saving souls in any part of the world, I would gladly do all in my power".

Although she felt faint and ill, she was determined to "walk it off", as she had done many times before. But in Cross Street, she collapsed outside the house of a friend and was taken back to her Convent. As she lay dying she had two parting messages for her Sisters:

So, spent and worn this valiant woman gave up her soul to God on 26^th April 1784.

From Heaven Nano watched over her Sisters and her children. Her Congregation flourished, spreading to all parts of Ireland. On April 8^th, 1805 Pope Pius VII issued the "Decree of Approbation" for Nano Nagle’s Presentation Order.