January 10th, 2021. Centenary of the death of Eileen O’Connor, foundress of Our Lady’s Nurses for the Poor.
We join the Sisters in celebrating, remembering the life of Eileen O’Connor, her commitment and work. As Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, we also celebrate her collaboration with Fr Ted McGrath MSC.
In 2020, there was the official opening of her cause.
1000 people filled St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney for the official opening of the cause for beatification and canonisation of Australia’s next possible saint, Eileen O’Connor on 20 February, 2020.
Beatification is the first of two major steps to being officially declared a saint by the Church; Eileen has already been accorded the title ‘Servant of God.’
Born in Melbourne in 1892, Eileen Rosaline O’Connor suffered a broken spine at the age three and lived in in constant nerve pain from what was later diagnosed as tuberculous osteomyelitis.
She co-founded Our Lady’s Nurses for the Poor with local priest Father Edward McGrath msc in 1913 to care for the sick and dying poor in their homes.
Lovingly known as ‘Little Mother’, she measured only 115cm tall when she died aged 28 in 1921.
In his homily, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP said God makes far more saints than are recognised, but that “the Church is graced to recognise a few”.
“For a century now the Church in Australia has kept alive the memory of the ‘Little Mother’,” he said adding that it has seen “many answers to prayers through the intercession of Eileen”.
“So far Australia has only one recognised saint so can we produce more saints?” he asked. “Has our dry continent suffered a holiness drought also?”
“We pray that Eileen O’Connor might be raised to the order of Australia’s second saint.”
The next steps in the process which would raise her to the altars, official confirmation of her reputation for holiness and indications from God [in the form of two miraculous healings], will require from Catholics ‘the patience of a saint’, he said.
