Sr. O'Connor's work in formation helped secure the future of Catholic health care
Sr. Catherine O'Connor, CSB, tells the story of encountering a maintenance worker in an empty back corridor of a hospital where she worked years ago. She was struck by his diligence on a quiet weekend day, dutifully cleaning baseboards that few people would ever see.
"I still remember that man,'' she said in her gentle Irish voice. "He was faithfully doing what he had committed to do. And no one probably knew that, except himself and myself."
For Sr. O'Connor, the man's dedication exemplifies the importance of every employee in fulfilling a health care system's mission every day, no matter their job title.
"I got that value from my parents,'' said Sr. O'Connor, who was born in a small village near Dublin, the middle child of 13 siblings. Her father, a contractor, had several businesses, and she recalls his employees often joining her family for dinner.
"We were always taught to have the utmost respect for them. It was like they were an extended family,'' she said. "It was rooted in my family values that every person is worthy of dignity and respect. There's no point in talking about the Gospel unless we live it."