Eileen O'Connor was born on 19 February 1892 in Melbourne, the eldest of four children to Charles O'Connor and Annie Kilgallon from Sligo, Ireland. Eileen became severely handicapped from a childhood accident and was crippled and bedridden for most of her life.
The family moved to Sydney where Charles O'Connor obtained employment, but there was a continual drain on the family's finances because of the need for medical and surgical care for Eileen. Following the death of her father in 1911, the family was plunged into precarious financial circumstances and Eileen was fully aware of the burden that the medical expenses had placed on the family. Although devastated by her father's death, Eileen rallied and became the source of faith and hope for the grieving family.
Father Edward McGrath became involved with the O'Connor family when Eileen's mother appealed to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart for help. He had just been appointed as the parish priest of the new parish of Coogee and began visitation of the O'Connor family.
The conversations between Eileen and Father McGrath that became a part of his visits to the O'Connor home resulted in the realization that they were both devoted to Our Lady and they both shared a deep concern for the poor.
The spiritual experience which Eileen had with Our Lady and the request that emanated from this experience gave both Eileen and Father McGrath the focus and drive to act for the "poor, and the poor only, in their own homes". Thus their dream was born.
The need for this care was very real in Australia at the time because there was virtually no social welfare for the poor and payment was necessary for admission to hospital. The plan was to form a band of dedicated women who would undertake the care of the sick poor in their own homes.
The foundation of the new society was 15 April 1913 with the official opening at Our Lady's Home at 35 Dudley Street Coogee. In the course of the following months and years, seven young women arrived at Coogee to undertake the work amongst the poor of Sydney. These early Sisters, as they were known, formed the nucleus of what came to be known as Our Lady's Nurses for the Poor.
The beginnings of this little Society were not without difficulties, frustrations and ecclesiastical interventions culminating in Father Edward McGrath's expulsion from his Religious Order and banishment overseas. In spite of these setbacks, Eileen never wavered in her determination to realize her dream for the sick poor of Sydney. She gave tirelessly of herself, from the bed to which she was confined, to her nurses and through them to the poor. After a life outpoured in love for God's poor, Eileen died on 10 January 1921, bequeathing the care of the fledgling group to her confidante and companion, Theresa (Cissie) McLaughlin.
Father McGrath remained faithful to the little group which he had helped to found in spite of his prolonged absence. He was awarded the Military Cross for his acts of bravery in World War 1. He returned to Australia in 1941, giving missions and assisting where needed. Father lived at Wellington Street, East Melbourne which was the House of Studies and Formation for the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. His prayerfulness, humour and wisdom endeared him to many. In 1969 he returned to Our Lady's Home at Coogee to spend the last years of his life with the Society he co-founded. He died on 17 May, 1977. He was 96 years old.
An essential part of Eileen's dream was to have the little Society recognized as a religious congregation. In spite of her appeal to Pope Benedict XV in 1921 for this recognition, approval for the Society to be recognized as a religious congregation was not formally granted until 31 January 1953 when His Eminence Norman Cardinal Gilroy communicated Rome's approval of the Society as a diocesan congregation. The Society of Our Lady's Nurses for the Poor was now an accepted religious congregation and part of the Australian Church structure.
On 30 August, 1962, the prayer for beatification of Eileen O'Connor received approbation by Cardinal Gilroy.
On 30 July, 1974 Mother May McGahey, on behalf of her Councillors and her community, wrote to His Eminence James Cardinal Freeman asking for "approval to instigate proceedings for the Beatification of our Co-Foundress, Eileen Rosaline O'Connor". Eileen was presented as a woman for our time and her life and work as witness to the presence of God in the caring professions. Mother McGahey was declaring that Eileen Rosaline O'Connor lived the life of the Gospel to an exalted degree.
His Eminence Edward Cardinal Clancy gave his permission for the preliminaries to proceed to a diocesan process, confirmed in a letter of 6 November 1990.
Whatever the outcome, Eileen's substantial reputation for sanctity remains intact.
Our Lady's Nurses for the Poor, or the Brown Nurses as they have become known, continue to the present day the traditional ministry of which Eileen dreamed and planned - the holistic care of the sick poor in their own homes. Her words are always with them:
"The cause of a person's poverty is not yours to question.
The fact a person is poor is the reason you help".