Eileen Archer could be described as the definitive unsung hero of the past fifty years in the Diocese of Victoria. At least, it would be hard to imagine another serious contender for the title.
      Not that she was not well known as the approachable, efficient, serious  executive assistant to Bishop De Roo (1962-1999). When you left something with Eileen Archer, you knew it would be done. She was a minor legend in the diocese if only because of her longevity in the job. It would be safe to say that it would be impossible to find any complaints against Eileen Archer. She was the perfect exemplar of a certain vital model of the church person of her day.

Eileen Archer could be described as the definitive unsung hero of the past fifty years in the Diocese of Victoria. At least, it would be hard to imagine another serious contender for the title.
      Not that she was not well known as the approachable, efficient, serious  executive assistant to Bishop De Roo (1962-1999). When you left something with Eileen Archer, you knew it would be done. She was a minor legend in the diocese if only because of her longevity in the job. It would be safe to say that it would be impossible to find any complaints against Eileen Archer. She was the perfect exemplar of a certain vital model of the church person of her day.
      Bishop De Roo spoke at her funeral. He has recently suffered a bad fall resulting in broken shoulder and hip bones, but his recovery seems optimal and in shorter than expected time he is once again travelling and speaking abroad. There did not seem to be any question that he would attend her funeral despite his difficulties.
      His words about Eileen, his invaluable assistant for more than thirty years, were succinct and pithy, and laudatory. He said that during the decades when he was travelling worldwide to promote the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and its 1970’s offspring Social Justice, that Eileen basically ran the diocese in his absence.
      Due to her sheer competence and unflappability, he knew that his work was in good hands, that through telephone communication everything would be prioritized properly and handled effectively and done in a manner characterized by the mature Christian personality. Never a moody gesture, never an exasperated attitude, never a cross word in all the years he worked with her, he stated unequivocally after the funeral rites at Saint Andrew’s.

Pre-dated Her Boss in the Job

      Eileen Archer was actually Remi De Roo’s secretary before he took the job as Bishop of Victoria in the fall of 1962. Monsignor Michael O’Connell had been in charge of the transition between bishops at the time of the Second Vatican Council when the previous bishop, Michael Hill died somewhat unexpectedly and then-Father O’Connell hired the young Eileen to help with the transition during a turbulent time in the life of the Catholic Church. It worked out so well she stayed in the job for three decades.
      What I appreciated most about Eileen Archer was how despite her job which might have made another person more reserved and exclusive, how she entered fully into the whole life of the church, participating fully from what I could see in as many of the new developments in the life of the diocese as she could. She did not consider herself ‘special’ in any way and precisely because of that she was special to so many people.
      Her funeral was representative of such a person. Bishop Gagnon presence gave it the status of a diocesan event and Bishop De Roo rounded it off nicely with the detail from the many years of experience and service which stamped Eileen's life in the minds of those in attendance. The internment and the reception out at Royal Oak Burial Park held a tone and sociability among the wide spectrum of people whose lives she touched. She even had good weather.
      Eileen Archer, Rest in Peace.