Little Nellie of Holy God

By TOM DENNEHY

Ellen Organ, known as Little Nellie of Holy God, was an Irish child born in August 1903 with an extraordinary knowledge and insight into the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. After her mother died, Nellie was raised by the Good Shepherd Sisters in Cork who noticed her close relationship with God. She would have visions and conversations with the Child Jesus. She loved to visit the chapel which she called the House of Holy God and was fascinated by the statues and images on display and in particular the Stations of the Cross. When told the story of the suffering and death of Jesus, she burst into tears. She developed a mysterious awareness of the Blessed Sacrament. She could tell if her carers had received Holy Communion.

Nellie receives Holy Communion

The child soon began to ask to receive Holy Communion. She longed to receive Holy God, as she called Him. At first the sisters hesitated- she was too young for the sacrament. Wondering if she understood what the Eucharist was, they observed her at prayer in the chapel and saw that she was captivated by the tabernacle, which she usually referred to as the lock up. Ellen had been born in the army barracks, where the prison was called the lock up. Upon seeing the Eucharist in the tabernacle, she regarded Jesus as the prisoner in the lock up. During Mass when her carers came back from Communion, the child would ask them to kiss her so she could somehow share in their Communion. The sisters spoke to a Jesuit priest who ministered to the community and while he was hesitant, he decided to come and speak to the child. After spending some time with her, he came to the conclusion that she had reached the age of reason even at an extraordinary young age. He brought the matter to the Bishop, who after thinking about it for a short while, consented and Ellen Organ made her first Holy Communion on December 6, 1907. When asked what Holy Communion was, she said, “Communion is Holy God. I receive Him on my tongue and he goes down into my heart and makes me and the nuns and the other children holy.”

Shortly after her death, St. Pope Pius X lowered the age for First Communion, from 12 years down to 7 years citing Little Nellie as his inspiration.

Between December 1907 and February 1908, Ellen Organ’s health declined. She was in constant pain. Given the times, there was little could be done. The sisters tried to make her as comfortable as possible. Various visitors, including the Bishop of Cork, noticed her fortitude and her intense prayer life. She was constantly happy. At this stage, tuberculosis had set in and she was suffering and found it painful to eat. The mouth disease caused a horrible odour which her caregivers treated with disinfectant. She did not complain of the pain that this caused her as she, holding the crucifix in her small hands, contemplated the pain that Christ endured during The Crucifixion, stating, “Poor Holy God. Poor Holy God.” It was noted by the sisters and nurses that when she began receiving Holy Communion the smell totally disappeared. All she wanted at this stage was to receive Communion. She was also aware that she was going to die soon and this did not trouble her. It made her happy – in fact she was looking forward to it.

Nellie’s Death

She died on February 2, 1908 after four years of life. Witnesses said she appeared to see something at the foot of her bed which caused her to smile and her eyes to well with tears. She followed that something with her eyes looking overhead when she died.

She was buried in St Joseph’s Cemetery in Cork and a year later when her body was exhumed, it was found to be incorrupt, just as the day of her burial, with her dress and communion veil like new.

Her grave attracted visitors from all over Ireland and as a result, her remains were transferred to the Cemetery of The Good Shepherd Sisters in Sunday’s Well, Cork.

Little Nellie of Holy God is patron and a model for all our children who will receive their First Holy Communion this year. She is an inspiration to all teachers who are currently preparing them and an encouragement to all parents who support them. Let us hope that they too will grow to love Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament just as Little Nellie did.

We continue to pray for the beatification of little Nellie of Holy God.