Rangiora 

Mary MacKillop must have longed to help zealous Missionary Priests.  Indeed she did help one such Priest - Father N Binsfield - who, having written to Mary no less than four times between 1884 - 1885.  Father Binsfield SM welcomed the first group of Sisters to Rangiora on 27 January 1887.

In March 1894 Mary MacKillop paid  her first visit to Rangiora.  She found there "a happy and united Community" living in a "poor building, though properly furnished, and they have a poor but very devotional little oratory (chapel)."  The parish priest Father O'Connor was an extremely kind pastor.

Mary returned to Rangiora in November of 1894, making sure she had brought lollies etc as a treat for the children.  She wrote often to the Rangiora Sisters after her return to Sydney and to the children on at least one occasion.