Joyce Harris, ssa

Eileen was born on July 20th, 1942 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Victoria, BC. She was welcomed into a loving home by her mother and father, Tom and Lil Curteis, and her mischievous but good brother, Charlie, whom she later in life called Chuck. Eileen’s memory of her mother was that of a kind woman who loved others unselfishly and inspired Eileen to do the same. Her father had a marvellous sense of humour, and she loved him dearly. Eileen’s father was a well-loved school principal in the greater Victoria School district for forty years which sparked Eileen’s vocation as a teacher. Eileen attended public school from grade one to nine and spent the last three years of high school at St. Ann’s Academy in Victoria, BC. It was here that her calling to religious life crystallized. At the end of grade twelve, she made a retreat and promised God that after one year of university she would enter religious life which she did in August 1961, professing her vows on August 27, 1963.

After completing the initial studies for teaching at the University of Victoria, Eileen began her career as a teacher at St. Patrick’s School, Victoria in 1964. The remainder of her studies took place through summer school classes, and she received her Bachelor of Education in the summer of 1974. Eileen was a dedicated teacher who absolutely loved the children that she taught with Grade 1 being her favourite grade. During her first seven years at St Patrick’s School (1964 to 1971), Eileen also taught catechism to public school children on weekends and was very involved in her local Sisters of Saint Ann (SSA) Community. During late summer you would often find her in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, helping prepare fruit for canning. The Sisters she lived with deeply appreciated her kindness, humour and generosity.

In 1972 Eileen moved to Kamloops, BC where she became principal of St. Ann’s Academy. While there, she introduced kindergarten programme and consequently became its teacher. Eileen also attended the Public School Principal’s meetings, creating a good liaison between Public and Catholic School systems. In the parish, she set up adult prayer groups and on weekends drew inspiration from long walks in the desert. Following her seven years in Kamloops, and at a crossroads, Eileen was granted a sabbatical year of hermitage and discernment in Ottawa where her brother and his family were located. As much as she felt she was being called to a contemplative life, she discerned otherwise and returned to St. Patrick’s School in 1980 where she accepted the position of principal. The following year she chose to return to teaching and spent another eleven years with her favoured grade one children. During the summer months, she volunteered her services at the Eric Martin Institute visiting people who were struggling mentally and emotionally.

In 1992, she felt God’s Spirit called her in a new direction and she received permission to explore a new ministry of healing where she soon became a teacher and practitioner of Reiki. Inspired by this eastern Buddhist healing art, she was able to marry it to her Christian heritage of healing and make relevant for our time the healing of Jesus.

Eileen took her Reiki Level I and II training with Ina Beaveridge-Henson in Victoria, BC, in 1992. She then went on to take her Usui Reiki Master training in 2006 which enabled her to teach all levels of Reiki. Eileen initially set up her Reiki healing practice at Queenswood, a retreat and spirituality centre owned by The Sisters of Saint Ann in Victoria, BC, ministering there for eighteen years. Eileen was a very welcoming presence at Queenswood, greeting its many visitors with a warm smile, while offering assistance to those in need. You could regularly find her in the swimming pool or walking the grounds feeding her soul in nature’s beauty. With the relaxation she would join the sisters picking blackberries.

In the interim space of time, Eileen produced professional Reiki Manuals which were later translated into French so she could pass on the God-given gift of Reiki to a small number of SSA Haitian Sisters. Both the English and French manuals quickly made their way to world-wide distribution.

Eileen’s last residence was Fernwood apartments where she could once again enjoy a daily swim. Along with Sisters Margaret and Assunta she shared festive meals with Sisters Jui, Marina, and Joyce. Her favorite restaurant was the White Spot where she enjoyed the occasional breakfast, lunch or supper with sisters and friends. Whenever possible, she went to White Rock to visit her family. During this time, she regularly attended services at St. Joseph’s Friary and facilitated faith sharing groups.

Perhaps Eileen’s strongest and most passionate calling within religious life was that of poet, artist, and writer, authoring fifteen books and producing seven CDs. She also did public readings and shared her healing journey with a variety of audiences. In June 2016, she was invited to participate in an online film festival through Culture Unplugged. Now her three films are housed in the archives of Culture Unplugged in California and are available to a global audience.