AUSTRALIA : EILEEN O'CONNOR - 92ND ANNIVERSARY - POSSIBLE SAINT

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
9 Jan 2013

Eileen O-Connor, founder5 of the Our Lady's Nurses for the Poor

Today marks the 92nd anniversary of the death of Eileen O'Connor, considered by many to be Sydney's very own saint-in-waiting.

Affectionately known as 'Little Mother' by her community, Eileen embodied a distinctive spirituality marked by a devotion to Our Lady and a willingness to bear a lifetime of pain and suffering.

She has also been described as determined and feisty who inspired a congregation of nuns despite her at times less than favourable dealings with the Catholic hierarchy.

Each year on 10 January, hundreds of devotees gather at Our Lady's Home in Coogee to say the rosary, seek Eileen O'Connor's intercession and pray for her beatification.

The anniversary of her death also marks the official start of centenary celebrations for the religious order she co-founded, Our Lady's Nurses for the Poor.

Charged to assist 'the poor and the poor only', the order has performed a unique ministry of healthcare, advocacy and friendship to the poor and disadvantaged in Sydney, Brisbane, Newcastle and Wollongong.

What is all the more remarkable is that Eileen was severely handicapped by a fall that broke her spine when aged three.

Despite numerous operations, she remained crippled and frequently confined to bed throughout her short life, never growing more than 115 centimetres and her condition complicated by tuberculosis.

Missionary of the Sacred Heart priest, Reverend Father Edward McGrath, met Eileen in the course of his duties with the parish of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Randwick.

Both shared a deep devotion to Our Lady and the desire to establish a ministry of compassionate service to the sick poor in their own homes in her honour.

At the time, there was no Government assistance of any kind, meaning that illness was an added burden for the poor.

The plight of the sick poor was especially close to Eileen, whose family had been plunged into precarious financial circumstances following the death of her father in 1911.

With financial assistance from several benefactors, including Father Edward Gell and his sister, Frances, the society began its ministry from Our Lady's Home in Coogee on 15 April 1913.

Over the following years, a number of young women arrived at Coogee to undertake their mission amongst Sydney's poor.

Eileen O'Connor was crippled nearly her entire life

They quickly became affectionately known as the 'Brown Nurses' because of their distinctive brown cloaks and bonnets.

Despite her growing disabilities and constant pain, Eileen continued to guide the work of the fledging society from her bedroom at Our Lady's Home.

She died on 10 January 1921, aged 28 years, entrusting the future of the organisation to her companion, Theresa (Cissie) McLaughlin.

Every morning for almost 16 years, the community at Our Lady's Home walked to nearby Randwick cemetery to recite the rosary at her graveside.

In 1936, the community gained permission to reinter Eileen's casket in her former  bedroom, which had been converted into a Chapel.

Mr W. J. Dixon of Darlinghurst Funeral Directors later made this statement about the events of that day:

"After the exhumation at the cemetery, the unopened casket was taken to our Funeral Chapel at 347 Anzac Parade, Kingsford, where a large number of Our Lady's Nurses for the Poor awaited us.

The Nurses asked me to open the sealed lead casket and remove the inner pine lid.

This was done, and I was startled to see Eileen O'Connor lying there as though asleep in her simple blue gown, her hair lying naturally down each side of her face, and her hands joined on her breast.

The skin appeared slightly dark and the eyes seemed a little sunken, but, not having the good fortune to know her in life, I could not know if this was natural.

Our Lady's Nurses then gathered around the open casket and appeared not in the least surprised at seeing the 'Little Mother' as they last saw her 16 years earlier.

The Nurses rested rosary beads on the Little Mother's hands for a few seconds."

His Eminence Cardinal Norman Gilroy, a long-time supporter of the society approved a prayer for Eileen O'Connor's beatification in 1962:

O God, Who raised up Your servant Eileen to enrich Your Church with a New Congregation devoted to the spiritual and corporal assistance of the sick and dying poor, grant that through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, she may be honoured with the privilege of Beatification by Our Holy Mother the Church. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

In 1974, congregation leader Sister May McGahey wrote to His Eminence Cardinal James Freeman asking for approval to instigate proceedings for beatification.

Some of the first nmuns from the order who dedicated themselves to attending the poor and sick.

His Eminence Cardinal Edward Clancy gave permission for the preliminaries to proceed to a diocesan process in 1990.

The Society of Our Lady's Nurses for the Poor was recognised as a religious order In 1953.

At one stage, its community boasted almost 40 religious sisters and novices, all trained or training as registered nurses with ministries established throughout Sydney, Brisbane, Newcastle and Wollongong.

Today, the mission of Our Lady's Nurses for the Poor remains as important as ever.

Visitors to Our Lady's Home, Coogee, are also welcome to inspect the order's museum.

It contains two rooms containing artefacts, furniture and memorabilia belonging to Eileen O'Connor and Father McGrath.

Among these treasures are Eileen's writing desk, her wheelchair, photographs from the early days and Father McGrath's military chaplain's kit and medals.

Her bed and statue of Our Lady was transferred to the veranda, where they remain lovingly preserved as they were in her lifetime.

Other special places in the history of the order include the Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Randwick, where the community attended daily mass for many years, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Waterloo, where the O'Connor family were parishioners for many years.

A stained glass window depicting Eileen O'Connor was blessed by His Eminence Cardinal George Pell at a commemorative liturgy held to mark the church's sesquicentenary in August 2009.

Another place of interest is Randwick Cemetery, where Father McGrath and deceased members of Our Lady's Nurses for the Poor are buried.

A Mass celebrating the Centenary of Our Lady's Nurses for the Poor, will be held at St Mary's Cathedral on Saturday, 13 April, 2013. A number of functions are planned later in the year.

Further information:

Sister Margaret Mary Birgan
Congregational Leader
Our Lady's Nurses for the Poor
35 Dudley Street  COOGEE  NSW  2034
srmargaretmbirgan@ourladysnurses.org.au
02 9665 6331

SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY