From the Fall 2007 Edition of Clippings Magazine

by Mike Killelea

Eileen Corcoran, O.P.

Sometimes on the softness of Irish fields there is a dewy mist. On occasion, if you walk their country roads, shouldered by walls pulled piece by piece from the soil, you might come across a small place left fallow in the middle of a field. The few green trees here would stand higher than the heather, and surely in these small places they tower over the brown furrows about them. There are those who swear these places are the fairy forts, the untouchable home of the little people.

It’s nonsense of course, a figment of some Irish whimsy that the locals are quick to celebrate in song. But it’s easy enough to catch a quiet knowing smile if you look around, a soft easy smile that might even leave the notes of a Gaelic melody floating on the wind after you’d passed by. And the grin that lights that face would surely be rooted in those fields that have always been the wellspring of strength and spirit for the Irish. In America, you can tell those faces a mile away. The words "as Irish as Paddy’s pig" come to mind. We’ve been graced by many of them here, conned by some and even blessed by a few. But blessed we are by one in particular, a deeply thoughtful member of the Order of Preachers and a strong, soul-filled woman.

Eileen Corcoran, O.P. has been a member of the congregation of the Sisters of St. Dominic in Amityville for 46 years, the last 14 of them as Pastoral Associate on staff here at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs. If there is an impish hint of those green fields in her face, there is also the treble of her native Brooklyn in her voice.

Her parents brought their spirituality with them when they came to Flatbush from Ireland. They must have whistled Irish music all the way because she can’t seem to be far from it for long. For most people, the skirl of bagpipes wears thin after awhile, but apparently not her. Last St. Patrick’s Day, she and a friend managed to chop through the thick ice that coated the metropolitan area to get to her car and then drive into Manhattan in time to march in the parade with her alma mater, Molloy College. St. Patrick’s Day is a bigger deal to her than her own birthday, but that may be because she thinks bagpipe melodies are catchier than "Happy Birthday to You."

Sister Eileen grew up in a close family and even today relishes the time she spends with her two brothers, her nieces, nephew and their children, as well as other relatives in Ireland. Her sister’s death from cancer weighed on her, but inside Eileen Corcoran lives a deep well of faith and an absolute belief in an all-loving God. That conviction helped her stay focused during her own successful bout with lymphoma eight years ago and is a large part of the peaceful spirituality that she exudes.

She entered the Dominican community after attending Bishop McDonald High School and then college, and was eventually assigned to St. Boniface in Elmont where among other things she ran the Religious Education program for 1,100 kids. On a spring day in 1980, intuition told her that a priest who dropped by, Fr. Peter Ryan, was about to be appointed the new pastor. The friendship they developed has had a positive effect on so many people that it’s hard to quantify.

Today at OLQM, she sometimes seems to be everywhere and is an integral part of more parish activities than her quiet demeanor would suggest. In some ways it’s a reflection of the sports fanatic and basketball player she was in high school, always moving and totally immersed in what she’s doing. She is so enmeshed in the fabric of this parish that if one tugged on a loose thread of her involvement in one area it would unravel into every nook and cranny, like a giant knit blanket coming undone. She brings a prayerful dimension to everything she touches, never pushing, always encouraging and nurturing, and quietly urging us to a closer relationship with our maker.

As Pastoral Associate she makes parish visits and hospital calls, does occasional wake services, and brings Communion to the sick. She is part of the parish Welcoming Committee and is an organizer of the monthly Taize Prayer evenings. She coordinates the overall Baptism program and the blessing of expectant parents. She is in charge of liturgical environment and as such might be seen in off hours deep in conversation about some detail of the sanctuary decoration for an upcoming season or a special liturgy. The scheduling of Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers and Altar Servers all fall under Sister Eileen.

She virtually created the Adult Faith Formation program here, and year after year those who have chosen to search deeper in their spiritual life have sought her counsel. Many individuals who have participated in the RCIA program did so based on her thoughtful guidance.

Among her many gifts, one of the most visible is Sister Eileen’s talent as an artist. Not content to simply enjoy the images that spring from the end of her brush, she has encouraged the creative spirit in others, developing a retreat based on the artwork done by those participating in the day. She has also set up a similar program in her Dominican community.

Her wholehearted involvement isn’t limited to Centerport, but spills from a heart too big to contain her generous spirit. It flows out through her community and way beyond the visible horizon. She has worked intensely on the Amityville Dominican’s Housing Committee and their fundraising efforts. She has organized retreats and participated in public scripture readings and reflections. When given the opportunity to speak publicly, those strong thoughtful reflections invariably go directly to the core of the subject she’s presenting in a most insightful manner. She has been part of the parish teen missions to Nazareth Farm in West Virginia as well as the parish mission in Nicaragua’s backcountry. It’s hard to imagine anyone embracing her community’s goals more completely than she does.

Throughout her adult life she has personified their words "as Dominican women we are committed to proclaim the gospel in an ever changing world and to serve the people of God." It might be simpler to say that her life has been a lived prayer for every one of us. If there’s any catch to this particular prayer life lived to the fullest, it is that anyone wanting to pray along with her better be ready to work up a good sweat. It may actually be easier to run up and down a basketball court for a whole game.