The Coogee milkmaid

28 May 1914. Catherine (Kit) McGrath, one of the foundation nurses, enters Our Lady’s Home after a

28 May 1914. Catherine (Kit) McGrath, one of the foundation nurses, enters Our Lady’s Home after attending a retreat conducted by Our Lady’s Nurses for the Poor co-founder, Rev. Edward (Ted) McGrath msc, in Parkes. Like Katie Lynch, who attended the same retreat, she was impressed by Father McGrath’s account of a community of Catholic women that has been established to serve the sick poor in their homes. As a country girl, Kit is given the added responsibility for milking a cow that is kept on the expansive grounds of Our Lady’s Home. Kit goes on to serve the sick poor for 28 years before dying in 1942. She is remembered fondly as a gentle and kind person who was known for her good humour and strength of character. She was always ready to help, without fuss.