May from Donegal tells of how she discovered Kathleen and built a Shrine in her Honour

I first heard about Kathleen from my sister Brid as she wanted me to find Kathleen's book 'No More Tears In My Eyes. I started looking in shops but I couldn't find it then Laura in the local library said she would order it for me. I started to look up the internet for any information on Kathleen, eventually discovering the Facebook page Kathleen Kilbane Holy Child.

The book arrived at the library and I quickly borrowed it. I got so emotional after reading Kathleen's story that I gave it to my husband Peter to read. We both had a great desire to go to her grave which we did. It was a lonely graveyard. I wanted to bring her home with me. I started to pray to her then Victor Kennedy contacted me, he wanted to visit me as his love for Kathleen is unconditional. We spoke for 5 hours that day. I shared my love for wee Kathleen, he shared his love for her. Leaving my house, he asked me if I would accept a statue of Our lady of Fatima and a plaque with Kathleen's name on it and her quote; "If anyone hears about me and likes me, I will help them also and will help them to be always good."

I was overwhelmed. My husband Peter started to cut into the rock on our piece of land directly across the road from our home, to prepare a place for the statue. When he removed the moss on the rock he discovered a cross etched into it. After many days of cutting it started to take shape. We were so excited to give wee Kathleen a home, but I always wanted our lady's statue so we thought if Kathleen is coming to us we needed to add something to her name other than, the little saint of Achill Island, a phrase coined by Victor. I quickly came up with 'The Holy Child of Mary' after Mary, Our Mother and also because my baptism name is Mary.

We also placed a statue of a cocker spaniel dog to symbolize Br. Conway's dog Roscoe who would come to visit her along with Br. Conway and who appears in the two only known photographs of Kathleen.

Since the shrine to Kathleen has gone up a lot of people come to pray the rosary and to ask her for their petitions. A lot of our neighbours bless themselves when passing by. Kathleen has lots of friends in the garden now. We visit her every morning and our grandson Pàdraig sits with her. He affectionately says to Our Lady, "ma, ma, Dia."

Thank you Our Lady for giving us Kathleen to love. We will cherish her forever, thanks to Victor and all Kennedy family. Cèad míle buíochas lè grà may Peter Agus an teaghlach. (Thanks a million with love, May, Peter and family)