#35: Mary MacKillop
Australia's first saint made education of children her mission
Only one Australian has ever qualified for beatification from the Catholic church - Mother Mary MacKillop, who was made a saint by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Sydney in early 1995. "Mary MacKillop embodied all that is best in your nation and in its people," the pontiff said.
"But have not our eyes been opened and our ears unstopped by God's gift to us - in the person of Mary MacKillop, and in the lives of all who share her spirit? We know her story expresses - in her life of service, especially of the powerless, the needy and those on the margins - pervading certainty that what she was doing was God's work, and her unfailing trust that God would provide."
For the former Marie Ellen MacKillop, born in Fitzroy, Melbourne on 15 January 1843, the calling to the service of our Lord came early.
Marie benefitted from a private school education and received first communion at age nine, perhaps confirming in her young mind that service to the church was to be conferred upon her. Her father, Alexander, had studied at a seminary in Rome but migrated to Australia before taking his vows.
Her father's fortunes constantly wavered - the family farm was never a success and when he left them behind to travel back to Scotland, Mary went to work as a clerk at age 14. She would later teach, briefly, before going to work as a governess for her aunt and uncle in Penola, South Australia. Mary not only worked to educate her young cousins but insisted on educating all the children from the various farms on the Cameron estate. She also soon became the sole breadwinner for her family.
The local parish priest Father Julian Woods took an interest in Mary's work as he was an advocate for education and Catholic education in particular. He started the Sisters of St Joseph school for the local children in 1860 with Mary as co-founder. By 1867, Mary was appointed Sister and Mother Superior. While notable as the first religious organisation in the country dedicated to the education of the children of the poor, it was also the first religious order founded by an Australian.
The order eschewed personal belongings and a vow of poverty was taken by all, as approved by local Bishop Lawrence Sheil. Mary and others went into the struggling outback camps and towns and lived in the same harsh conditions.
In 1871, a misunderstanding led to Mary being wrongly excommunicated from the church by Bishop Sheil, because he believed she had led the Sisters astray into "disobedience". Shortly before Sheil's death less than a year later, he instructed that Mary be absolved. An Episcopal commission later exonerated her too.
That same year, Mary travelled to Rome in order to have the Sisters of St Joseph officially approved by the Vatican. In Europe, she saw firsthand how education had changed. Mary was in Europe for 18 months and returned with new teaching aid books as well as priests and Josephites from Ireland. Despite official approval from Rome, some Australian priests and bishops continued to oppose her.
But by 1877, Mary was a hero in Sydney, continuing her ministry to the poor and oppressed, expanding to gaol visits. She had attracted much support from non-Catholics which did not endear her to the hierarchy, but once Archbishop Vaughan was appointed to the Sydney parish, things became somewhat easier.
In 1883, Mary moved across the Tasman to New Zealand to establish the sisterhood and stayed for three years. By 1896, Mary was Mother Superior-General, but her health declined sharply. She suffered from rheumatism, and during a visit to New Zealand in 1902, had a stroke, paralysing her right side. For the next seven years, she had to rely on a wheelchair to travel but her gift for oratory and the alacrity of her mind did not suffer, to the degree that the Sisters voted to re-elect her again.
By 1909, Mother Mary was in poor health and she died on 8 August. She was buried at the Gore Hill cemetery, in the strip of quiet land that now borders Royal North Shore hospital and the old ABC television studios. People made pilgrimage to her grave and many sought souvenirs from the gravesite, including dirt and grasses. The diocese ordered that she be exhumed in 1914 and her mortal remains were transferred to a vault in the memorial chapel in Mount Street, North Sydney. The vault stands before an altar to the Mother of God - but was a gift from Mary's lifelong friend Joanna Barr Smith, a devout Presbyterian.
The Sisters of St Joseph continue their work today, all over Australia. It was due to their efforts that Mother Mary MacKillop was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1995. Her order is now awaiting the final proof of the second miracle necessary to propel MacKillop into the pantheon of the saints. There is also a pilgrimage to Mary's tomb in North Sydney from 12-27 July.
Lifeline
1843 Born in Melbourne
1850 Receives first communion
1860 Founds Sisters of St Joseph school
1867 Appointed Mother Superior
1871 Excommunicated from the church
1872 Excommunication reversed
1873 Audience with Pope Pius XI in Rome
1898 Elected Mother Superior General
1909 Dies aged 66. Buried in Sydney
1973 Officially recognised by the Vatican
1995 Beatified by Pope John Paul II