Today marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Irish hero Michael Collins.
Collins took part in the Easter Rising and later rose to prominence for his intelligence operations with the IRA during the War of Independence.
His death in 1922 came during the Civil War, as divisions over the Anglo Irish Treaty tore the country apart.
Regardless of what people thought of the treaty, it is universally acknowledged that he was a remarkable figure of immense stature, as even Winston Churchill was forced to recognise.
What many do not know about Collins was that he had some connections to some well known Catholics of the day. Frank Duff, founder of the Legion of Mary, was his secretary and was believed to be the last person to have seen him before he left Dublin for Cork on the week of his death. GK Chesterton’s novel Napoleon of Notting Hill inspired Collins and was his favourite novel during the War of Independence, inspiring Collins in his approaches to politics.
Although lesser known by the public at large, perhaps the strongest connection to the church was through his sister, Helena Collins. Helena was 7 years older than Michael and grew up in Clonakilty as he did.
It is said that their father predicted on his deathbed that Michael would grow up to be a great patriot and that Helena would grow up to be a nun.
Many of those who were involved in the struggle for Irish freedom at this point had close relatives who were living consecrated lives. Sean Heuston’s sister was a superior amongst the Dominican Sisters in Galway, taking the name of Mother Brendan Heuston. Thomas McDonagh’s sister Francesca was a member of the Sisters of Mercy, she gave him a Rosary before he was executed by British forces. Eamon DeValera was a third order Carmelite and was buried in the habit. Padraig Pearse and others had relatives who later became priests and nuns.
Helena Collins joined the Sisters of Mercy in 1901, when Michael was still a boy. She was often called ‘Lena’ for short, but upon joining the order she eventually took the name ‘Mother Celestine’. Her and Michael wrote to one another during his various struggles, from the Rising to the War of Independence.
When he was shot dead in August 1922, she returned home to Ireland his funeral.
This was to be one of only three times that she ever returned to her native soil.
Mother Celestine passed away in 1966 in Yorkshire, where she had been a nun for half a century.
Margery Forester wrote of Collins:
“His favorite saint was St. Paul… He carried a relic of that apostle of many perils in his pocket.It was no mere sharing of tribulation that attracted him to the saint, however. ‘You see [St. Paul] had the divine saving grace of not having been always good.”
Both Michael and Helena devoted their lives to something bigger and greater than themselves.
Fulton Sheen spoke of patriotism when he said:
“Patriotism is a virtue that was allied to the old virtue of the Greeks and Latin called ‘Pietas.’ Pietas meant love of God, love of neighbor, love of country. And when one goes out, all go out.
“[When] we no longer have love of God, we no longer have love of country.”
May they both rest in peace.