CK101 "THEY COULD BE A SAINT" PAGE
Little Nellie of Holy God
Ellen Organ was born in Waterford City, Ireland on August 24, 1903. She was the youngest of four children. Her nickname was Nellie.
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Nellie had a serious fall as a baby when she was accidentally dropped. The fall caused her hips to be out of joint and her spine became crooked as she grew. Sadly, this caused her much pain.
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When Nellie turned four years old, her mother died. Her father was unable to take care of all his children by himself so Nellie was reluctantly sent to a home run by the Good Shepherd Sisters. Nellie was happy there! She loved the sisters who took care of her very much.​ Nellie saw that they loved Jesus very much.​
There was a chapel where Nellie now lived and the very first time she saw the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the monstrance she cried, "There He is! There is Holy God now!" She loved to go to the chapel often which she called,"the House of Holy God."​
Contacting the local bishop, the sisters asked permission for Nellie to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation because of her very poor health. Bishop Thomas O’Callaghan agreed to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation on October 8, 1907. Nellie took this very seriously and exclaimed, “I am now a soldier of Holy God!” This was the turning point in her life. Mother Mary Francis stated that never again did she display signs of impatience.
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After this, Nellie began asking if she could receive Jesus in Holy Communion. The sisters tried to explain to her that children who received their First Holy Communion had to be, at that time, twelve years old but Nellie insisted. The sisters had a priest come visit her and he asked, "Tell me Nellie, what is Holy Communion?" Nellie replied, "It is Holy God. It is He who makes the Nuns and everyone else so happy!"
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The bishop then gave special permission for Nellie to receive her First Holy Communion at the age of four. Upon hearing the happy news Nellie kept repeating, “Oh! I will have Holy God in my heart! I will have Holy God in my heart!”
Nellie received Holy Communion thirty-two times before she died. Her preparation was only outdone by the time she spent in thanksgiving afterwards. Once Nellie remained in her prayer of thanksgiving the entire day until five o’clock in the evening. On that occasion Mother Mary Francis quietly approached her to see if she was alright. As if awakened from a dream, Nellie turned toward the Mother Superior with a radiant face and said, “Oh Mother, I am so happy! I have been talking to Holy God.”
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Nellie had the same sickness that had taken her dear mother. It was a disease called tuberculosis. Nellie would look at the little Crucifix that she held tightly in her hand and the sisters often heard her whisper, "Holy God. Holy God." When the pain became too much she would cry out, "Holy God suffered far more on the Cross for me!"
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Sunday, February 2, 1908, the Feast of the Purification of Our Lady, was the day that Nellie died. She was wearing her First Communion dress. At three in the afternoon, she became very calm and looked intently at “something” at the foot of her bed. She made an attempt to raise herself in that direction but was too weak. However, her gaze did not leave that spot. The look on her face was not one of someone dying. Her eyes were filled with tears of joy as she appeared to be speaking to someone. Slowly her eyes moved upward, as if following that “something” over her bed. Moments later, with a beautiful smile, she breathed her last. Nellie was four years, five months and eight days old.​
Nellie was first buried in the town cemetery but the sisters who had cared for her lamented the loss of such a special child and requested her reburial in the convent cemetery. To the astonishment of those present at her exhumation a year later, Nellie’s body was not only found to be totally incorrupt (how she looked when she was alive) but her clothes were in exactly the same condition as the day she was originally buried. Even the holy medal which hung around her neck was still shining.
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The story of Nellie reached the pope at the time who was Pope St. Pius X. He was considering lowering the age of receiving First Holy Communion. It is reported that when he heard about “Little Nellie of Holy God,” as she was now called, he exclaimed, "This is the sign I have been waiting for!" His decree "Quam singulari" officially lowered the age from twelve years old to seven years old for children receiving First Holy Communion.
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Some time later when Pope St. Pius X was presented with a book about “Little Nellie of Holy God,” he said, “She was a little angel. Her patience was admirable, her resignation in suffering perfect. Moreover, she showed a superior intelligence in supernatural matters. As for her innocence, it is beyond doubt.” As he leafed through the book, he came to a picture of Nellie and exclaimed, “Ah, there she is!” and gazed at it admiringly.
Here is a beautiful documentary video produced by the Diocese of Waterford & Lismore in Ireland about Little Nellie of Holy God. Ask Dad and Mom to watch this with you. "Little Nellie, inspire us to love Jesus in the Holy Eucharist like you did!"
