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The Presentation Sisters

The society of australian congregations of the presentation of the blessed virgin mary (pbvm).

The Presentation Sisters were founded in 1775 by Nano Nagle to meet the needs of the poor in penal Ireland. Founded from Ireland, Presentation Sisters came to ‘the ends of the earth’ in Australia in 1866. Traditionally, Presentation Sisters in Australia have reached out to families in need through education in Primary Schools, Secondary Colleges and Tertiary Institutions.

Today Presentation Sisters and Associates are in every continent across our globe and work to address the ‘cry of the poor and the cry of the earth’ through a variety of social justice initiatives.

The Society of Australian Congregations of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (PBVM) is a federation of six autonomous Presentation Congregations in Australia and a group of Australian and Melanesian Presentation Sisters in Papua New Guinea.

Presentation Sisters are called to encounter God in the heart of the world and to continue the mission of Jesus in the spirit of our founder Nano Nagle. Like Nano we are called to keep our hearts open to the voices of those who are poor and oppressed, voices which challenge us to conversion and action both personally and communally.

For more information on the Presentation Sisters visit their website.

St Mary's College is located on the traditional lands of the muwinina people of the South East Nation. We acknowledge and deeply respect the palawa people, the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community, and all Elders past and present. We are committed to learning alongside our students and community in this place, nipaluna, and support the continued sharing of knowledge and culture.

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Our History

Nano Nagle Founds Presentation Order

The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary were founded by Nano Nagle in Cork, Ireland, for the purpose of educating poor children.

Presentation Sisters Expand into North America

Four pioneering sisters carried Nano Nagle’s vision and spirit to the shores of Newfoundland, the first Presentation congregation in North America.

Presentation Sisters Respond to Call in North America

Ten communities of Presentation Sisters were founded in North America over a 57-year period.

Invitation to Collaboration

Pope Pius XII invited the North American religious communities to converge at the University of Notre Dame, Inidiana, with the intention of encouraging stronger connections within and among them.

Beginning of Conference of Presentation Sisters

The Conference of Presentation Sisters began under the title of North American Conference. A meeting was held at Mount Loretto Motherhouse in Dubuque, Iowa and ten Presentation communities began to communicate on issues of ministry, spirituality and social justice.

Meeting of Presentation Superiors General

Presentation Superiors General met in Rome to discuss ways to promote a worldwide concept of Presentation life and mission and to establish more visible links between Presentation Sisters throughout the world.

First International Assembly

Collaboration went beyond North America with the first international assembly of the Presentation Sisters in Melbourne, Australia.

The International Presentation Association is established

After many meetings and the establishment of a coordinating team, each congregation indicated their willingness to be a prt of the International Presentation Association. IPA was ritually established at a liturgy, prepared by the Indian Sisters and celebrated in every community on April 26.

First IPA Assembly is held in Perth, Australia

New Windsor Congregation Forms

Fitchburg, Mass. and Newburgh, NY congregations merged to create New Windsor Presentation Congregation. With this merger, the Conference now consisted of eight congregations. Watervliet, NY chose not to belong to the Conference.

NAC Becomes CPS

North American Conference (NAC) became Conference of Presentation Sisters of North America (CPS). The new structure included executive director and executive team, consisting of three members of the Conference. Sister Monica Miller (San Francisco) served as executive director.

Monica Milled Hired as Executive Director

Monica Miller was hired as the first Conference executive director. Her role was to build relationships, set up and office and prepare for the Convergence. She would leave this position following the Convergence of 2006.

Collaborative Ministry

The eight congregations of the Conference began a collaborative ministry project. The common values of living among the poor and living simply lent themselves to a collaborative ministry in New Orleans, Louisiana called Lantern Light.The collaborative aspect of this ministry meant all the congregations shared funding responsibility and sisters serving in ministry there. Hurricane Katrina shifted some of the ministry focus, but the sisters were able to adjust their ministry presence to meet the immediate needs of the area.

Convergence in St. Paul, Minnesota

The Convergence gathering was held in St. Paul and brought together over 400 Presentation Sisters and their lay associates. Time was spent in meetings, prayer, music, conversations and general rejoicing.The gathering ended with renewed enthusiasm and commitment to carry on the mission of Jesus as it was exemplified in the life of Nano Nagle, foundress of the Presentation Sisters. Over 125 recommendations for further collaboration were presented to the leaders of the Conference for consideration.

Executive Assistant Hired

The Conference added Fargo Associate Julie French as executive assistant to support the executive team of the Conference. The leadership structure now includes a three-member executive team and the executive assistant.

Lisa Olson Hired as Conference Coordinator

Lisa Olson was hired as Conference coordinator to replace Julie French. Lisa had previously worked with the Aberdeen Presentation Sisters.

Eco-Spirituality Retreat

In 2014 the Conference sponsored an eco-spirituality retreat in Los Gatos, California. Every Conference congregations was represented in participants.

Gathering of Presentation Sisters, Brookings, S.D.

A Gathering of Presentation Sisters was held in Brookings, S.D. The purpose of this gathering was to bring together younger members to explore possibilities for the future. Over 50 sisters attended.

Hilton Grant for Online Formation

The Conference secured a three-year grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for the development of a collaboration online formation program for Presentation People.

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NANO'S STORY

From small acorns do mighty oaks grow, who is nano nagle, nano (honora) nagle was born in 1718 in the townland of ballygriffin, near the village of killavullen, in the beautiful valley of the blackwater in county cork. her parents, ann and garret nagle, were relatively wealthy catholic landowners..

Ireland at that time was in the grip of Penal Laws which denied Catholics the right to property, to education, to entry into the professions – even the right to own a horse! It is not surprising that some branches of the Nagle family had embraced the Protestant faith in order to escape the rigour of the Penal Laws and to secure succession rights for their children and descendants. So Nano grew up knowing that many of her closest relatives were adherents of the established Protestant faith. Others had been forced to emigrate. Two uncles on her father’s side lived in Bath, England. Many of her cousins had made their homes in France and elsewhere on the European mainland.

From what is known of Nano’s childhood, it seems to have been happy and carefree. By the standards of the day it was privileged. She and her siblings received a basic education at home and in a nearby hedge-school. At age ten she was sent to a Benedictine convent school in Ypres, Flanders (then French territory) where the Nagle family had many relatives. On leaving there at age sixteen she continued her education in Paris, moving in courtly circles there – ‘creating a stir’ as a charming debutante with a wonderful singing voice. Rumour had it that she was destined to marry one Prince Charming from the Royal Court of Louis XV at Versailles. Wealthy, beautiful and talented, with all the right connections at court, Nano immersed herself in the social scene in Paris. She tells us in one of her letters that ‘she could have stayed there forever’.

An event occurred, when Nano was in her early twenties, which was to change the course of her life. One morning, returning in her carriage from an all-night ball, she saw a group of poor people waiting at a church door for early morning Mass. It was a turning point. The contrast between her life and that of the poor, whose riches were of another kind, left a lasting impression on her. She resolved to take action. Returning to Ireland and defying the Penal Laws, she secretly set up a cabin-school in Cork’s Cove Lane (now Douglas Street), initially enrolling a class of thirty-five girls. From there the project grew. Soon she had schools in other parts of Cork city. She employed teachers at her own expense to teach basic literacy and life-skills, while she travelled each day on foot to teach the catechism and to prepare her pupils for the sacraments. At night she would visit the poor in their homes, travelling the unlit lanes and dangerous, unprotected quays, offering what help she could. Her biographer tells us that ‘there was not a garret in Cork that she did not know’. Nano became affectionately known in the city as ‘The Lady of the Lantern’.

On Christmas Eve 1775, after much trial and searching, she established the Sisters of Charitable Instruction of the Sacred Heart, later to be known as Presentation Sisters, to continue ‘the work of God’ she had begun. On the 26 April 1784, Nano died of tuberculosis. Her message to the Sisters gathered around her as she lay dying was ‘Love one another as you have hitherto done’.

CHEZ NANO – CONNECTIONS TO BATH

Anyone who has ever visited the lovely city of Bath in Somerset could scarcely have missed the Sally Lunn Bakery and Tea Rooms at No 4, North Parade, quite close to the site of the ancient Roman Baths and The Royal Crescent. The bakery is said to be built on part of the ruins of Bath Abbey, and is advertised today as Bath’s oldest building still in use. The Sally Lunn Tea Rooms are famous for a special type of confectionery – a light, slightly sweet brioche-type bread, with a long history dating back to 1680.

Our Beginnings The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary were founded in Ireland in 1775 by Nano Nagle. She felt she was called by God to bring the light of faith to the poor children of Cork.  The Penal Laws of the time forbade any form of Catholic instruction in Ireland, but Nano Nagle was willing to risk imprisonment and disgrace for the sake of the Gospel. Visiting the sick and homebound by night along Cork’s cobbled streets, she became known as the “Lady With the Lantern”. In time she gathered other women to form a new society of women religious dedicated to the service of the poor. Nano Nagle’s small band of women, originally named the Society of Charitable Instruction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, later became known as the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

New York City On September 8, 1874, 12 Presentation Sisters from Ireland arrived on the shores of New York City. They came at the invitation of Father Arthur Donnelly to staff St. Michael's School on the West Side of New York City. On Monday, September 28, 1874, the sisters greeted 600 children who were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Irish sisters who crossed the ocean to teach them. Ten years after the arrival of the sisters in New York, Saint Michael's Parish purchased Frost Farms in Staten Island as a permanent vacation house for the sisters. The summer home for the children was converted into a permanent orphanage for the children in St. Michael's Parish. The sisters then had to split as sisters were needed to staff the orphanage and the other sisters had to return to teaching in the school. On August 10, 1884, the archdiocese declared that some sisters needed to remain in Staten Island and care for the growing concerns of the orphanage. Mother Joseph Hickey appointed Sister Magdalene Keating superior of the small group that remained on Staten Island. This was a very short arrangement as a request for Presentation Sisters to staff St. Bernard's School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, arrived at Staten Island. Mother Magdalene Keating accepted the new foundation and left with a few sisters and postulants to take up the challenge. Sister Theresa Reynolds was then appointed superior of the Staten Island community. On May 1, 1890, the New York City community became an independent congregation. The spread of the sisters on the East Coast was a blessing as the three congregants were growing with new members arriving every year. In 1921, Presentation Sisters from St. Michael's Convent purchased property in Newburgh, New York. With time, this site became the motherhouse for the Sisters of the Presentation. Over time the congregation opened missions in New Jersey, Queens, New York City and the Bronx. As the congregation spread, the ministries of the sisters widened beyond education of children to pastoral care, health care and social service. In 1991 the congregation began the canonical process of unity. The Newburgh, New York, congregation and the Fitchburg, Massachusetts, congregation were reuniting and becoming one. After six years of work, the unity of the two congregations took place in July 1997 and the name remained the Sisters of the Presentation.

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Presentation Sisters, Society of Australian Congregations of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( - )

Presentation Sisters at Tardun, courtesy of Christian Brothers Institution Albums 1 & 2 (Holy Spirit Collection). DETAILS

The Presentation Sisters were founded in 1775 in Ireland by Nano Nagle. Their website gives some history of the Presentation Sisters' work in Australia. They came first to Richmond in Tasmania in October 1866, to Victoria in 1873 and to New South Wales in 1874. In 1900, the Presentation Sisters went from NSW to the Western Australian goldfields and July 1891, another group came directly from Ireland to Geraldton. The Presentation Sisters and Christian Brothers have had some historical links because of the inspiration drawn by the founder of the Christian Brothers, Edmund Rice, from Nano Nagle's approach to religious life and work, and the practical support he gave to the establishment of their convent in Waterford, Ireland. In July 1941, four Presentation Sisters formed a community at St Mary's Christian Brothers' Farm School Tardun. The Presentation Sisters kept a Community at Tardun until 1966.

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In his book, Enduring Struggle , Tardun ex-student David Plowman writes (p.255) that the Sisters of Nazareth were the first females at Tardun and after them came the Presentation Sisters. These were Mother Laurence (Ryan) and Sisters Aidan Coady, Philomena Ryan and Patricia White. They were followed in 1942 by Sister Peter, Sister Benedict, Sister Evangelist, Sister Paschal, Sister Bridget and Sister Margaret Mary to help with the boys from Clontarf who were evacuated to Tardun. The Presentation Sisters were asked to take charge of 'the domestic arrangements in connection with the school, such as cooking, taking care of the sick, superintending laundry, clothes mending and the Chapel.' Professor Plowman also records (p.259) that the Sisters at Tardun led an 'uncomplicated life' enjoying simple recreations such as Sunday films, walks and concerts put on by the Tardun students. They had an annual holiday in December at Geraldton with other Presentation Sisters. Apparently, it was their habit to have a 'Sunday drive around the property and to neighbouring farms.'

In 1948, the Presentation Sisters also established a primary school at the Pallottine Mission at Tardun, a few kilometers from St Mary's Farm School.

We do not currently have any resources linked to this entry, but resources may exist. If you know of any related resources, please contact us .

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We are a global association

Inspired by Venerable Nano Nagle

Honoria ‘Nano’ Nagle (1718-1786) was a compassionate and forward-thinking woman who worked among the poor and marginalised in Ireland, providing education, food and medical support. On Christmas Eve, 1775, she founded a religious order of sisters, who later became known as the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (PBVM).

Nano Nagle performed a lot of her work at night, travelling from hovel to hovel along the dark lanes of Cork city, carrying a lantern to light her way. This is how she came to be known as ‘The Lady with the Lantern’.  

The lantern remains a symbol of how the Presentation Sisters follow her light today through our work in education and global advocacy.

“We are Presentation People who share the charism of Nano Nagle. We reach out in faith, in a spirit of hospitality, compassion and simplicity to all of creation. The cry of Earth and people made poor calls us to continue the mission of Jesus to bring forth a sustainable society founded on respect for Earth, universal human rights, economic justice and a culture of peace.” 2017 IPA Assembly

We are located in 20 countries.

We are comprised of the Presentation Sisters Union , the Conference of Presentation Sisters of North America and the Presentation Society of Australia and Papua New Guinea , and together we have a presence in twenty countries, shown in this map.

Our History and our Future

These featured resources go into detail about the history of the International Presentation, and the plans for the future which arose from the IPA Assembly in 2017. Click on the cover image to download your chosen document in pdf format.

The International Presentation Association is the global advocacy mission of the Presentation Sisters and Presentation People today. We are a network of over 1,500 religious sisters and Presentation People in over 20 countries.

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The Science of Siblings

At the heart of this cozy coffee shop lies a big sister's love for her little brother.

Yuki Noguchi

Sibling Coffee Roasters owner Libby Powell poses with her brother, Benjamin Withem, outside her West Virginia coffee shop. In her hand is an early photo of the pair — one they are trying to re-create. Susana Raab/for NPR hide caption

Sibling Coffee Roasters owner Libby Powell poses with her brother, Benjamin Withem, outside her West Virginia coffee shop. In her hand is an early photo of the pair — one they are trying to re-create.

The Science of Siblings is a new series exploring the ways our siblings can influence us, from our money and our mental health all the way down to our very molecules. We'll be sharing these stories over the next several weeks.

There's a coffee shop in the historic center of Charles Town, W.Va., where Libby Powell's family memorabilia hang from the exposed brick walls.

On one shelf, there's a photo of Libby posing with her towheaded baby brother. A jar of oatmeal-and-butterscotch cookies called Salty Siblings perches by the cash register. An elegant copper roaster parked in the shop's front bay window churns out the store's custom blends, including a popular one with Ethiopian beans named after that baby brother: The Benjamin.

Powell named this place Sibling Coffee Roasters — and it stands as a testament to one of her most cherished relationships.

Powell was already 14 and in high school when her brother, Benjamin Withem, was born 34 years ago. By that time she'd already thought a lot about the significance of having a sibling in her life. She knew, through intuition and experience, what the scientific research now shows: That this connection can deeply affect our mental and physical health over the course of our lives , for good or for ill.

Libby Powell was 14 years old and a high school student when her brother, Benjamin, was born. Susan Raab for NPR hide caption

"We have a human need to bond," she says. "Your friends are going to come and go. But when it's family, if your sibling is your friend, they're going to be there forever."

About 80% of children in the United States grow up with a sibling. It's a relationship that usually comes with shared experiences of family and childhood — and maybe also shared bedrooms and rivalries. Research about siblings' influence on our development and psychology is a relatively new field . But scientific studies show those relationships shape us in myriad ways, seen and unseen. And the impact of those relationships — good or bad — endures well beyond childhood, into middle age and beyond.

In adolescence, siblings are very influential when it comes to risk-taking behaviors that can include things like sex or substance abuse . Even in middle age, being on good terms with our siblings continues to strongly correlate with our mental and physical well-being, especially during life transitions like a divorce or caring for ailing parents. Late in life, siblings can help support one another to maintain their health and companionship, and recounting shared memories can be a powerful antidote to loneliness .

"Siblings matter. They matter above and beyond our parents. They matter above and beyond our peers," says Shawn Whiteman, who studies human development at Utah State University.

A sibling worth waiting for

On this bustling Saturday morning, Powell picks up a bag of The Benjamin off the shelves by the cash register and reads its label: "Sibling's brotherly love blend." It is mild, in keeping with her brother's personality, with a blueberry-like flavor. "I definitely wanted that to encompass what his taste for coffee is," she says.

Powell says she once experimented with a dark roast she called "The Sibling Rivalry," but it didn't fit any part of her ethos.

"I hated it," she says. "And I don't like to fight with my brother, so I decided — we're not going to carry a dark roast."

As a girl, Powell — a Baptist preacher's daughter — yearned to have a brother or sister, and her parents, Mike and Naysa Withem, tried to have more children.

Sibling Coffee Roasters features a variety of house-made baked goods including a "Salty Sibling" cookie. Susana Raab for NPR hide caption

When Libby Powell was about 2, they started taking in foster children. Those experiences were inevitably marked by disappointment, because for one reason or another they could not stay, says Naysa Withem.

The last foster child, an older boy named James, stayed for seven years, and Powell grew up thinking of him as her actual big brother, complete with all the skirmishes and antics that come with traditional siblings.

"I remember the arguments, and getting into trouble with him, and doing things with him that were sneaky," Powell says.

But when he was 16, her foster brother chose to leave the family, a decision that left a 10-year-old Powell devastated: "I was alone. It was like all eyes were back on me, and I didn't know what that felt like because I don't think I remember being an only child." His absence, and the sense of isolation, fed her desire for siblings.

Her parents, meanwhile, were trying to have another child. "I remember my mom had gotten pregnant and I was so excited," Powell recalls. "I remember that feeling and thinking, 'I'm gonna be a big sister.'"

It was not to be: Powell was with her mother when she miscarried. "That was traumatic," says Naysa Withem.

Powell and her mother, Naysa Withem, load a display case with baked goods. Pierre Kattar/NPR hide caption

So when Baby Benjamin arrived two years later, his sister was waiting with open arms.

"I just remember just thinking: 'This is the prettiest baby I've ever seen in my life,'" she says, her voice rising with emotion. Her brother shuffles from around the counter in the shop's back kitchen and pulls her in for a tight hug.

Awash with gratitude that he was born alive and healthy, Powell says she doted on her brother like a doll, lathering him with lotions and changing his diapers and clothes.

Around the time Benjamin Withem was potty trained, Powell headed to college. Even though the time they overlapped in the same house was limited, her brother says he had developed a close connection with her that endured: "It's nice to always be reminded that you have these shared experiences that are constantly pulling you back together."

Sibling Coffee Roasters is a family affair; brother Benjamin Withem will stop by to indulge in a cold brew and chat with mother Naysa Withem, father Michael Withem, and sister and owner Libby Powell. Here, they pose in front of a quilt Naysa made for the shop. Susana Raab for NPR hide caption

An evolving relationship

The study of sibling relationships and their influence on how we think or act hasn't been as studied as other family relationships — like those between mothers and children, for example. Researching siblings also isn't easy, because no two families are alike. Variations like gender, age gap, or the number of siblings can really matter, making comparisons between families difficult and conclusions harder to draw.

One classic example where that can get complicated is birth order — something popularly believed to have a great deal of influence on our personalities. While some earlier studies suggested it might have some impact, most research doesn't bear out the idea that birth order has any lasting significance on who we become, says Utah State's Whiteman.

Still, siblings are overall very influential because they're usually our first peers. We might idolize them or battle them, but either way, through them we learn how to relate to others.

"Peers, if you have too many conflicts with them, they are just not going to be your friend anymore, but siblings really can't get away from it," says Nicole Campione-Barr, a psychologist who researches family dynamics at the University of Missouri. "So it's really one of our only training grounds socially to understand how to handle conflict in effective ways."

Powell says hello to her brother, Benjamin Withem, at her coffee shop. Susana Raab for NPR hide caption

Powell says hello to her brother, Benjamin Withem, at her coffee shop.

Libby Powell, for example, recalls how her brother used her as a sounding board — especially in his teen years, and especially after he'd made a mistake.

"If he was going to be in trouble or if he made a bad decision, he came to me first — and he was feeling out what my reaction would be," she says.

"I think he was testing the waters," she says, before having to tell their parents.

Naysa Withem, who's been watching her two children reminisce as she cleans the shop's kitchen, chimes in with a correction: "He was hoping you would cushion that with mom and dad," she says with a laugh.

The dynamics between siblings often change in young adulthood, as they explore independent paths. That was true also for Ben Withem who, after college, took a cybersecurity job in the Middle East — a world away from his sister in Charles Town.

Have a story about your sibling? Share it with us!

"That was definitely the most distance we've experienced," he says. And being that far was "almost like hitting the reset button" on their relationship, he says.

Powell found that "reset" difficult and says she felt angry. "I felt those same feelings when James left — when my foster brother left," she explains. At the same time, her brother had recently married, which meant Powell had to adjust to make room for another important person in his life. "That was hard for me because I'm sharing my little brother, who I thought that I had a little control over."

Libby Powell says that she and her brother were always close and have hardly ever fought. Susana Raab for NPR hide caption

It was the only time they remember any tension existing between them. They had one fight, which culminated with Powell accepting her brother as an adult peer.

"He was taking a stand as an adult for the first time ... and I was put exactly where I needed to be put," Powell recalls, nodding approvingly toward her brother. Benjamin Withem, the more introverted sibling, agrees silently, deferring to her memory.

Through their adult lives, coffee played a big role in keeping them connected. Withem loved good coffee, and Powell says she relied on bad coffee for decades to get her through working overnight shifts as a nurse. He tried roasting beans in his popcorn popper; she eventually began following her younger brother's lead and upgraded to their current, kitchen-table-size industrial roaster.

Powell discovered she loved the taste of her own freshly roasted beans, as well as the coffee culture and social life that surrounded it.

Powell roasts her own coffee beans at her shop in West Virginia. Pierre Kattar/NPR hide caption

"I just found that coffee — the way that he would describe it — it wasn't just a drink, but it was a relationship," she says.

When she opened Sibling Coffee Roasters five years ago, Powell saw it as a kind of extension of that relationship, a chance to share the warmth and support she associates with siblinghood. She says the shop connects her to the community she's lived in her whole life, and it gives her an excuse to talk to people about their lives and their troubles.

"I always wanted to feel cared for, and I always have felt that way," she says, "and I know that there's just way too many people out there that don't."

Powell says the coffee shop is a kind of extension of her relationship with her brother, a chance to share the warmth and support she associates with siblinghood. Susana Raab for NPR hide caption

Powell says the coffee shop is a kind of extension of her relationship with her brother, a chance to share the warmth and support she associates with siblinghood.

Sibling Coffee Roasters also reflects the dream that Benjamin Withem will eventually open up another shop as they grow old together.

It's a sentiment he shares, he says. "I see the name she picked as the open invitation."

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• Science of Siblings
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Conjoined Twins Abby and Brittany Hensel Posted Details About Their Sex Lives?

The two made their tv debut on "the oprah winfrey show" in 1996 and later starred in the 2012 tlc reality series "abby & brittany.", jordan liles, published april 3, 2024.

About this rating

In early April 2024, a rumor was virally shared online claiming conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel had posted details on X about their sex lives.

The twins were born in 1990 and made their TV debut on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 1996. They later starred in the TLC reality series "Abby & Brittany" in 2012, according to E! News .

The rumor about the Hensels revealing information about their sex lives was shared in the form of a supposed screenshot of a post from X, often under a photo of the pair in a wedding dress. In the picture, they posed with Abby's husband, who according to reporting from Today.com  is named Josh Bowling.

According to the image, the Hensels posted on the X account @2HeadsAreBetter regarding their sex lives, including about how one sister occupies herself while the other participates in sex.

A reverse-image search showed the purported post  was shared   by numerous users on Facebook , Instagram , Reddit , TikTok and X .

However, the image of the X post was a fake, as we noted with our fact-check rating above this story. The X account @2HeadsAreBetter truly is an active user but has nothing to do with the Hensels. The twins do not have a publicly known presence on X.

The screenshot of the fake post appeared to have first been posted on March 30 on the Facebook page Things You Don't See Everyday with Chris Taliaferro.

The inspiration to create the fake post may have been prompted by recent news. Just three days before the fake post appeared on the Facebook page,  Today.com reported news had been made official that Abby had privately married Bowling – a nurse and U.S. Army veteran – in 2021.

As of early 2024, the twins teach fifth grade and live in Minnesota, where they were born and raised.

Regarding their biological makeup, the reporting from Today.com said Abby and Brittany are dicephalus conjoined twins and share a bloodstream and all organs below the waist, with Abby controlling their right arm and leg and Brittany controlling the left side.

According to Us Weekly , the Hensels manage a TikTok account under the handle of  @abbyandbrittanyhensel . Past postings feature photos of Abby, Brittany and Bowling.

In late March 2024, after several online publishers reported on Abby's and Bowling's 2021 marriage, the twins posted a video directed at "the haters," generating one of TikTok's AI voices to read the words, "This is a message to all the haters out there. If you don't like what I do but you watch everything I'm doing, you're still a fan."

More videos posted by the twins can be found on their TikTok account .

Abrahamson, Rachel Paula. "Conjoined Twin Abby Hensel Is Now Married." Today.Com , 27 Mar. 2024, https://www.today.com/parents/family/conjoined-twin-abby-hensel-married-rcna145275.

Heller, Corinne. "Conjoined Twin Abby Hensel of Abby & Brittany Privately Married Josh Bowling." E! Online , 27 Mar. 2024, https://www.eonline.com/news/1398314/conjoined-twin-abby-hensel-of-abby-brittany-privately-married-josh-bowling.

Siwak, Miranda. "Conjoined Twins Abby and Brittany Hensel Clap Back After Wedding News." Us Weekly , 30 Mar. 2024, https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/conjoined-twins-abby-and-brittany-hensel-clap-back-after-wedding-news/.

By Jordan Liles

Jordan Liles is a Senior Reporter who has been with Snopes since 2016.

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Alcohol Awareness Month: Raising Awareness about the Dangers of Alcohol Use Among Teens

March 27, 2024

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, an opportunity to update your knowledge about the adverse effects of alcohol misuse on health and society. It is also a good time to talk to teens about drinking and to equip them with the knowledge to handle situations involving alcohol. Even teens who would not normally be tempted to drink alcohol may be drawn in by certain social situations, so don’t assume they have all the facts they need to resist peer pressure. Parents and trusted adults can play a meaningful role in shaping youth’s attitudes toward drinking.

Alcohol-related problems continue to take a heavy toll on individuals, families, and communities. Researchers estimate that each year there are more than 178,000 alcohol-related deaths, making alcohol a leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Alcohol is a significant factor in the deaths of people younger than age 21 in the United States. This includes deaths from motor vehicle crashes, homicides, alcohol overdoses, falls, burns, drownings, and suicides. Research indicates that alcohol misuse during the teenage years can interfere with normal adolescent brain development. Alcohol use during adolescence also significantly increases the risk of developing alcohol use disorder later in life, and the earlier a teen starts, the higher the risk. In addition, more than 200 disease and injury-related conditions are associated with alcohol misuse.

Here are some resources from NIAAA to inform teens and their parents—as well as people such as educators, coaches, and faith group leaders who work with teens—about the detrimental health effects of underage alcohol use:

• Facts About Teen Drinking : Designed for teens, this website contains in-depth information about how alcohol affects health, how to identify signs of an alcohol problem, and how to get help.
• NIAAA for Middle School : This website contains interactive activities to help parents, caregivers, and teachers introduce and reinforce key messages about peer pressure, resistance skills, and other important topics related to underage drinking.
• Alcohol and Your Brain: A Virtual Reality Experience : This educational experience shares age-appropriate messages through engaging visuals, informative billboards, and narration.
• Kahoot! quiz about underage drinking : This quiz can be taken at home or in the classroom to help teens gain a better understanding of underage drinking. Topics covered in the quiz are negative health consequences associated with drinking, signs of an alcohol problem, and how to find support.

More NIAAA resources about drinking during adolescence are available on our underage drinking landing page , including resources for talking to kids about alcohol. Parents and other adults can make a difference in helping teens make the right decisions when it comes to alcohol and preventing underage drinking. Having conversations with them about alcohol is a strong start. Another strong start is to understand your key function as a role model when it comes to alcohol. Adolescents are less likely to drink heavily when the adults in their life demonstrate responsible behavior regarding their own alcohol use and when they live in homes where parents/guardians have specific rules against drinking at a young age.

In addition, for adults, the Rethinking Drinking website features interactive calculators as well as tips and strategies to cut down or quit drinking. The Alcohol Treatment Navigator walks individuals through the process of finding treatment options and recovery resources. Whether you are seeking more information about what alcohol use disorder is, are thinking about cutting back on alcohol, are a parent looking for information about how to talk to your child about alcohol, or a health care professional looking for how to help patients with alcohol-related problems, NIAAA can help.

Best wishes, George F. Koob, Ph.D. NIAAA Director

Need Help for an Alcohol Problem?

If you’re having an emergency, call 911. If you are having suicidal thoughts, call 911, go to the nearest emergency room or call the toll-free, 24-hour  National Suicide Prevention Lifeline  at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to help you through this difficult time.

The  NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator  can help you recognize and find high quality treatment for alcohol use disorder. If you drink excessively, seek medical help to plan a safe recovery as sudden abstinence can be life threatening. NIAAA’s  Rethinking Drinking  can help you assess your drinking habits and provides information to help you cut back or stop drinking.

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