Sr Eileen passed away peacefully to Eternal Life on Tuesday 19th August 2025
Removal of remains to Convent Chapel, Magheramore, Co Wicklow on Thursday, 21st Aug. 2025 at 5.30pm
Funeral mass on Friday, 22nd Aug. 2025 at 11.30am followed by internment in the Convent cemetery
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HOMILY
Many years ago I listened to a Spanish sister telling about one of her earliest experiences in the Peruvian Amazon. A woman had come to the convent asking the Sisters to go to her house on a certain day to celebrate a ‘Mass’ for the Month’s Mind of her father.. On the day appointed the sisters came to the ramshackle house. There were a some trees in the yard and a few hens and a pig or two wandering around. All the family were there. Maria, the lady who had invited them called everyone to attention and announced: Now we are going to share the inheritance of our father. The sisters wondered what on earth this inheritance could consist of. Maria called the small grandchild and asked him: What did your Abuelito Tomas leave to you? He said: Well, when he went to the market he would bring me home some sweets, and he told me I should not fight with my friends. Then she asked her mother: What has Papa left to you? She replied: He was so good. He did his best to put bread on the table, etc. etc. And so on with all those present. And the Sisters realised that indeed the old man had left a wonderful inheritance.
For the last few days our beloved sister Eileen’s family and all our sisters have been sharing the wonderful inheritance Eileen has bequeathed to us after almost 96 years of life. We all experienced Eileen’s characteristic gentleness – a virtue held in high esteem by our Patron, St. Columban who encouraged his monks to practice it. He connected it to kindness, generosity and love particularly in the context of serving others and showing compassion. Eileen had these virtues in superabundance. She also had a great capacity for friendship, and with all sorts of people. All those she lived and worked with considered her their friend.
After her First Profession in 1952, Eileen spent a number of years in Ireland in the different houses including six years in Dalgan Park with the Columban Fathers and a year in Boston after finishing her Nurse’s training. She began her ministry in Lima in 1965 in a small Medical Post in Independencia where she worked with Sr. Ita McElwain, until it was taken over a few years later by the Ministry of Health. As a qualified nurse she was then given charge of the TB Programme in an extensive area. This was a hugely responsible job. Eileen left for her centre at 7.00a.m. and worked there until 2 in the afternoon. She would then visit patients and families, and follow-up especially those who would not be too careful of their medication, or feeling better would not want to finish it. Her approach was very holistic – She would help the families to provide separate sleeping quarters for the TB sufferer using estera matting. There was help with nutrition and expecially she saw to it that the person with TB would have a better diet and a daily glass of milk. In addition there was education in hygiene.
Not only was Eileen working in the area of TB, but people in the neighbourhood needing medicine for common complaints, or wanting to talk about their sickness or problems would come to the house, often before she left in the morning. She was there for every emergency. One of the priests one time who had left his car open and whose notes had disappeared questioned the lads who congregated outside the house if they had taken them. They were indignant and said how could they damage anything to do with the Hermanita Elena who cared for them all. In fact Eileen made great connections with the youth of the area and would join their Birthday celebrations, wakes and whatever.
There was a wonderful character in Independencia an older lady – a Sra Bracamonte who for many years was involved in the Church, and it seems wasn’t beyond ticking off the Padres at times. When Pope John Paul visited Peru in the late ‘90s, Sra Bracamonte was chosen to make him a presentation on behalf of a number of parishes. Before this happened, Eileen and a Sr of Mercy, Millie, went downtown and purchased a new dress and a veil for her so that she could appear in style on the stage in Villa el Salvador where the massive gathering was held.
One of the most significant experiences Eileen had was when Joan Sawyer was murdered in Lurigancho prison in 1983. This was traumatic for her and all the Sisters.
Eileen’s last six years in Peru was spent in Canto Grande. Here she worked with the women volunteers in the Parish Botiquines, or centres where basic medicine could be obtained at a much lower cost than in the pharmacies. She also bound people’s wounds, listened to their problems and was totally integrated into the community. In our religious community Eileen was a joy to live with, gentle, funny and willing to pitch in with anything. A testament to how she was valued in the parish was that the priests seriously wondered if she would be willing to come back to serve for the summer months in Peru.
Today we thank God for her life and companionship and the wonderful inheritance she has left us, and we pray simply: Elena que descanses en paz!
Sr. Maura Gallahue