ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːtiːn, ˈaɪliːn ˈɛntɚd ðə kˈɑːnvənt ʌvðə ɹᵻlˈɪdʒəs ʌvðə kɹˈɔs æz ɐ pˈɔstʃələnt, bᵻfˌoːɹ bᵻkˈʌmɪŋ ɐ nˈɑːvɪs æt stˈænbɹʊk ˈæbi ɪn wˈʊstɚʃɚɹ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪftiːn, səpˈoʊzɪdli wˈɛɹɪŋ ɐ fˈæʃənəbəl skˈɜːt tˈuː tˈaɪt tə nˈiːl ˈɪn.
In 1913, Eileen entered the Convent of the Religious of the Cross  as a postulant, before becoming a novice at  Stanbrook Abbey in Worcestershire in 1915, supposedly wearing a fashionable skirt too tight to kneel in.