Our Story
After years of hard work and research regarding unmet needs in our community, the Sisters of the Presentation opened the Presentation Lantern Center in 2002 as the first and only language learning/welcome center for adult immigrants within a 75 mile radius of Dubuque. Our primary focus is to enhance and increase adults’ English language acquisition and literacy skills, and to assist immigrants in their quest for American citizenship and integration. Since its inception, the Center has assisted over 2,000 individuals including children from 85 countries. Many other individuals – from volunteers to immigrants and their children or grandchildren, have found solace in the welcoming, genuine atmosphere the center provides.
The Presentation Lantern Center’s motto, “a place of welcome,” is the cornerstone of our non-profit organization. Sister Corine Murray, PBVM of Dubuque, Iowa, served as the founding executive director until 2016. Visitors to the center are warmly welcomed by staff and volunteers. Language learners are then paired up with a personal mentor with whom they study English and learn practical life skills to use in their new country. Students also have the opportunity to engage in conversation with other language learners, which fosters an environment where all are welcome to share stories of their culture and personal experiences.
Lighting a Pathway to Hope
In the heart of Dubuque, Iowa, a steady light radiates from the Presentation Lantern Center, a nonprofit rooted in hospitality, education and empowerment for immigrants and refugees seeking safety, stability and a fresh start in a new country.
The Lantern Center was founded in 2002, but its story begins much earlier. Inspired by the mission of the Presentation Sisters and their foundress, Nano Nagle, a woman who walked the nighttime streets of Ireland in the 1700’s by lantern light to educate those who were oppressed and denied an education, the Lantern Center carries forward that same legacy of compassion and justice. Nano’s lantern has become both a symbol and a promise: to walk beside those whose strengths and contributions are too often overlooked.
Every person who enters the Lantern Center is met with welcome, respect and individualized support. Through one-on-one English language tutoring, citizenship preparation, cultural orientation, and a deep sense of community, the Lantern Center offers more than services, it offers sanctuary. A place where learners build confidence in their English skills, find space to share their stories and grow bold enough to dream of a better future.
The Lantern Center is not a shelter. It is something more powerful: a space where lives are transformed through human connection. Volunteers become mentors. Learners become leaders. Newcomers become neighbors. Each conversation and lesson builds a bridge between cultures and reminds us all of our shared humanity.
In a world that too often closes doors, the Lantern Center opens them. It is a space of peace, patience and profound possibility. While the path may be long for those rebuilding their lives, the Lantern Center remains a steady light guiding the way forward.
