Feast of Saint Mary MacKillop

Mary MacKillop was born in Melbourne and worked as a governess and a teacher to support her family. In 1866, she founded St Joseph’s School in an old stable, the first free Catholic school in Penola, South Australia. With Father Julian Tenison Woods, she founded an order of nuns, the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. They opened many schools and other charitable institutions and continue to this day. She was canonised by Pope Benedict XVI on 17 October 2010: the first Australian Saint.

On Friday 8 August we celebrated the Feast Day of Saint Mary of the Cross Mackillop. Mary embarked on a spiritual journey focused on “God’s saving justice,” culminating in the founding of a religious order that expanded across continents. Mary cared for Australia’s indigenous peoples, prisoners facing execution, children needing education, the homeless, orphans, the sick, and anyone in need. 

Now more than ever, Mary MacKillop’s enduring motto comes into sharp focus:

“Never see a need without doing something about it”

This resonates as something we all should heed and put into action. 

Mary shows us how God seeks to answer the day’s troubles through us.

O God, source of all goodness, 

You have shown us in 

Saint Mary a woman of faith living 

by the power of the Cross, 

teach us, we pray, by her example to live the 

Gospel in changing times and to respect 

and defend the human dignity of all in our land. 

Amen

Venerable Nano Nagle, pray for us.