UNITED STATES PROVINCE

The Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, founded by Blessed Anne-Marie Rivier in Thueyts, France, in 1796, first came to the New World in 1853, in Marieville, P.Q., Canada. By that time, many French-Canadians had begun immigrating to the industrial centers of New England. Entire families had left their farms and moved southward to the United States seeking employment in the paper and textile mills.

A call arose from the Church in the United States asking for help in caring for these people who had left all they knew, seeking a better life for themselves and their families. In 1873, in an attempt to meet the spiritual and educational needs of this population, the daughters of the Woman Apostle once again crossed international boundaries to teach Jesus Christ.

The first American foundation was in Glens Falls, New York. From there, the Sisters opened a boarding school in Island Pond, Vermont, in 1886. Many foundations quickly followed in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Most of these foundations were parish schools. During all this time, the Sisters still belonged to the Canadian Province of St. Hyacinthe.

In 1958, the Hudson Province purchased a group of buildings that had once served as a hospital in Manchester, New Hampshire. The Provincial Administration now transferred from Hudson to Manchester, NH. Henceforth, the Province became known as the Manchester Province. Soon, a second building opened as the Infirmary for the Province serving as such until 1980 when it then became the Provincial Chapel and a sisters’ residence. Finally, at this time, a new and larger, more modern combination of Assisted Living and Infirmary was added to this property given the increasing number of elderly and sick.

The Biddeford Province was established in 1948 with its Provincial Administration located at Marie Joseph Academy in Biddeford Pool, Maine. With time, Marie Joseph could no longer house both a flourishing Academy and the Provincial Administration. In 1957, the Searles Estate, located in Methuen, Massachusetts, was purchased to house the Provincial Administration. At this point the province became known as the Methuen Province. Due to the decreasing number of Sisters in both provinces, and for the sake of mission, on August 15, 2012, the Manchester and the Methuen Provinces were reunited to form the United States Province.

The Sisters of the Presentation of Mary in the United States are vibrantly alive, mission oriented and community minded as we journey into tomorrow, placing our trust in God alone. We believe our lives lived in community are essential to our identity as we answer God’s call by walking in the footsteps of our foundress Blessed Marie Rivier. As our Rule of Life states we seek to inspire one another to live the Gospel as we strive to make Jesus Christ known and loved. Day by day, in the sanctity of our vocation, we love one another and help one another grow in holiness.  We live the “let us come together” in the day to day of our lives: our apostolic work, our sharing in community, and our celebrations. No matter our age or ministry, our hope stems from the fact that we live our lives in and for Jesus Christ.  This, in itself, is a powerful witness for the world in which we live!  This is evident in our daily interactions and relationships with one another, our coworkers, our lay employees, our family members, our friends, and all of God’s people.  

The United States Province has two academic institutions and one retreat center. Our other ministries include hospitality, intercessory prayer for the world, nursing home chaplaincy, spiritual direction, teaching in diocesan schools, and outreach to the poor. In the United States we minister/live in the following areas: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. 

We seek to work collaboratively with the laity in the Church. We hope to pass on our charism and mission as Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, to share Marie Rivier’s spirit and to be a vibrant presence in the Church! We desire to give to others her unshakable trust in divine providence and her outstanding audacity. We can’t keep this for ourselves we must pass it on. Marie Rivier invites us today to do what she did in her own time: animated and sustained by our Marian devotion, we make Jesus Christ known and loved by our whole life! Moreover, in the USA, there is a dedicated group of members who belong to the Consecrated laity of the Presentation of Mary, as well as a large number of Marie Rivier Associates.

Rivier University is a four-year, Catholic institution that welcomes students from all backgrounds and provides a transformative and supportive educational experience.

Located in Nashua, New Hampshire, Rivier was founded in 1933, by Sister Madeleine of Jesus, a Sister of the Presentation of Mary. Throughout its history, the University has been dedicated to providing a learning environment that educates the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Graduates from Rivier excel professionally, academically, and in service to their communities.

Rivier University offers academic programs at the Undergraduate, Professional Studies, Graduate, and Doctoral levels. No matter what level of study, the academic experience is engaging, hands-on, and face-to-face with faculty. Students can choose from online and hybrid classes in addition to traditional courses on a 68-acre campus. 

MISSION STATEMENT: 

Committed to the faith heritage, intellectual tradition, and social teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, the University educates the whole person in the context of an academic community that cultivates critical thought, sound judgment, and respect for all people. This community supports the intellectual growth of all its members while offering them opportunities for social, cultural, moral, and spiritual development. The challenge to the University community is to search for truth through the dialogue between faith and reason.

Rivier creates an environment in which integrated learning is the shared responsibility of students, faculty, staff, and administrators, and is pursued in all the curricular and co-curricular programs of the University. To participate in the life of Rivier University is to strive for academic excellence, to take responsibility for ourselves and for others, and to engage in dialogue about basic human issues facing society, especially the plight of the poor and powerless. The University extends to all of its members, and also to the greater community, an invitation to join in intellectual inquiry and dialogue.

Rivier University welcomes you