Carrigallen nun was honoured by Queen Elizabeth
The late Sr. Eilish Greene.
There was widespread sadness at the death of Eilish Greene (Sr. Dolorosa) Drumcannon, in Blackpool, England, recently. She had being in poor health for some time but despite this she remained in good spirits, always enquiring about her friends around the Carrigallen area.
Eilish was one of 14 children born to Mary and Packie Greene, Millbrooke House, Drumcannon. She was the twin to Clara (RIP) who later married Pat Masterson (Snr.). She attended Bredagh National School under Master Paddy McGuire and was a keen sports person playing camogie with the Carrigallen team of the early 1950s.
Eilish continued her secondary education in the Convent of Mercy, Ballymahon, completing her final exams with distinguished results. On the death of her father, she answered her calling to the religious life by joining The Cross and Passion order in Bolton, Lancashire, in 1949 and took her final vows in 1952.
Her vocation within the order was to teach; she taught in Yorkshire, Leeds and Durham for many years and was made superior there.
In 1970 she was requested by the Leeds Diocesan Catholic Child Care to open a much-needed hostel for troubled and abandoned street girls. She and her fellow sister, Sister Francis opened a hostel with two bedrooms and a cooker in Dewsbury, Yorkshire and were overwhelmed by the response of the Dewsbury community who brought furniture, food and money. The hostel rapidly expanded with the aid of community support coupled with Sr. Dolorosa's tireless work, gaining a national reputation in England as a benchmark on how to support, rehabilitate and rehouse these troubled girls.
It was noted on many occasions that it was Sr. Dolorosa's compassion and friendship for each girl that was most notable in this success story. Many of the girls had never experienced a mother's love before, a large number returned to the hostel on mother's day with gifts for the sisters and in later years bringing their own children with them.
Sr. Dolorosa often said that in her line of work she continually encountered the three 'Ps' - great emotional pain, great pleasure and great privilege. "It was always a great privilege to work with these girls they are all God's children," she said.
In 1981, Sr. Dolorosa was awarded Citizen of the Year for her charitable works to the poor and needy in Yorkshire and was later invited to Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Elizabeth II, an occasion that she commented on by saying: "I was enthralled watching all the beautiful fashion, the top hats and tails. I was the only one there in my working clothes."
After 20 years working and managing the Westhaven Hostel, Dewsbury, Sr. Dolorosa was ready for new challenges. She worked in a number of parishes doing pastoral care in Glasgow and Co. Antrim.
In 2002, she celebrated her golden jubilee in Carrigallen with her family and friends after which she retired from active ministry. In the past few years Sr. Dolorosa suffered ill health and was unable to travel to Carrigallen. She left this world in the care of her fellow sisters in Lytham, Blackpool, on August 18, 2010.
Fr. Murray, PP of Carrigallen, commented on the news of her death "that Leitrim had lost one of its unsung ambassadors; her life's work was dedicated to helping others".
May she rest in peace.
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