 Sister Mary Kelly, PBVM is very proud to be principal of St. Joseph School, Upland. Enrollment has remained stable over the years with an average of 38 students per grade. We have a professional, hard-working staff of 13 teachers and 12 support  staff. Our Extended Care Program cares for over 150 students.
We are very proud of our faithful, Church-going families who are passing the faith onto their children. We see our students, like many of their parents, as the leaders of tomorrow. It is exciting to teach second and third generation families, who have been taught by our Sisters. Today, many of these parents have stepped forward as leaders on our Parent, School, Finance and Development Boards. The work of our Sisters from the past has paid off and we look forward to a bright future as we carry on the legacy of the Presentation Sisters.
Sister Maur O'Sullivan, PBVM is retired and lives in Upland. She was among the  first group of sisters who came to St. Joseph Parish in 1955.
Sister Betty O'Dowd, PBVM is retired, but is a volunteer Math teacher.
Sister Gemma Pires, PBVM is retired living in Upland.
 Sister Sheila Reen, PBVM is the coordinator of the Ministry to the Sick Program in St. Joseph Parish, Upland. About fifty volunteers bring Communion to and pray with the sick, the elderly, and the homebound in our parish. Two members of the team visit the four floors of the hospital on a daily basis. We do Communion services at the five in-parish nursing homes every week and we have Mass once a month. Our ministers also visit about seventy homebound people every week.
  Sister Niamh Kelly, PBVM spent six years in Pakistan, starting off in Rawalpindi. She has been teaching here in the USA since 1966 at St. Bonaventure School (Huntington Beach, CA), St. Irenaeus School (Cypress, CA), St. Norbert School (Orange, CA) and presently at St. Joseph’s in Upland. Sister Niamh continues the call of Jesus as she did in Baptism to spread the Good News. She is also Mission Coordinator in the school. Over the past many years the children have donated thousands of dollars to the Holy Childhood to help children in need in the third world. Sister Niamh writes: “I love teaching. We have no idea how much we touch children’s’ lives. They in turn will spread the Good News of Jesus.”
In 1955, three Presentation Sisters from Co. Kerry, Ireland, Sisters Maur 0’ Sullivan, DeLourdes Moriarty and Cecilia 0’Dowd arrived in Upland, California, in response to Monsignor Brown’s invitation to staff the newly built, elementary Catholic school. School opened with grades K-4, but enrollment increased rapidly and St. Joseph Parish was blessed to have nine sisters working in the school for several years.
As parish needs and demographics changed, the sisters moved into new ministries and accepted full responsibility for the Religious Education Program and Outreach to the Sick and Homebound.
The spirit and charism of Nano flourished as the Sisters remained faithful to their commitment to teach and serve others in Jesus’ name. Today, they continue to impact the lives of others as they work with the sick and elderly and teach Catholic values at St. Joseph School. Presently Sisters Maur 0’ Sullivan, Sheila Reen, Niamh Kelly, Betty 0’ Dowd and Mary Kelly form community in Upland. |
