Mary MacKillop goes to Rome
March 27, 2023
To celebrate 150 years since Mary MacKillop embarked on her first overseas journey (March 1873 – December 1874), the Sisters of Saint Joseph share reflections and details from Mary’s travels to and from Europe – sourced from Mary’s letters and Congregational Archives as she visits Italy, Germany, Scotland and Ireland.
“I am going to Rome… and I go full of hope!” Thus, wrote Mary MacKillop to her sisters on 25 March 1873. It reads like a simple statement but hides a wealth of grief, anxiety, hope and a profound trust in the Providence of God, her good God whose “adorable will” she encourages her sisters to accept in “humble submission… and in all circumstances whether pleasing or not to your natural inclinations”.[1]
MacKa Moments for Lent
March 8, 2023
MacKa Moments (MacKa short for Mary MacKillop) are short, candid videos about moments in Mary MacKillop’s life by Sr Rita Malavisi.
For the season of Lent, Sr Rita will create and share MacKa Moments and release them weekly.
Reporting on the Vagaries of Life
February 22, 2023
Report cards have always been a source of consternation for teachers, parents, and students of all ages.
People familiar with Mary MacKillop’s Portland story would remember the furore that arose from the efforts of Mr Cusack to impress the school inspector with some clever behind the scenes prompting and a quick switch of the more able students from Mary’s and Mary’s sister Annie’s classes. All to no avail when his deceit was uncovered. Strangely enough when Mary’s father Alexander exposed his folly loudly and vociferously through the local paper, the consequences fell down on Mary’s shoulders.
Continual Good Light
February 8, 2023
Recently, my brain has lit up like a lightbulb through counselling study, and the latest New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) and National Centre for Religious Studies (NCRS) documents. It has been fascinating to define sexuality, and it’s led me to reflect…
How does it link with Christianity and Saint Mary MacKillop?
Why is understanding sexuality important?
Alexander MacKillop – Father of Mary MacKillop
January 20, 2023
Mary MacKillop’s father Alexander MacKillop was born in the Lochaber district of Scotland in 1812. He died in Hamilton, Victoria (VIC) on 19 December 1868 and is buried there.
Alexander had studied for the priesthood in Rome and for a short time in his homeland in Scotland. However, as he said, “it was not God’s will that I be a priest”, and so in 1838 he migrated to Australia to start a new life.
Remembering the Beatification of Mary MacKillop
January 18, 2023
The Beatification of Mary MacKillop was a historical time for Australians. The naming of a saint born and raised in Australia brought great joy, not only to Catholics, but to many others who had come to know and admire her.
Weatherwise, 19 January 1995 was grey, threatening to rain. In contrast, the prevailing atmosphere was one of pure happiness. You felt it everywhere! This positive atmosphere had also been at the magnificent vigil-concert/display at the Sydney Domain the evening before.
Mary MacKillop’s Cross from the Beginning
January 13, 2023
We celebrate the birth of Australia’s first canonised saint and co-founder of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Mary MacKillop, who was born on 15 January 1842.
Mary MacKillop’s whole life, almost from the time of her conception to her death, was overshadowed by the Cross. Father Geoghegan, priest at St. Francis’ Catholic Church, Melbourne, gave her mother Flora a relic of the Cross said to have been found by Helen, mother of the Emperor Constantine, to wear until her child was born. She would have explained to her daughter the significance of the Cross she had worn day by day during her pregnancy.
Mary MacKillop and Advent
December 7, 2022
During a recent trip to Melbourne, I attended Mass at St Francis’ Church in the city. This is a special church as it is Victoria’s oldest Catholic Church, where Mary MacKillop’s parents were married, and where Mary had the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion.
Visiting St Francis’ Church, which was a significant church in the life of Mary MacKillop and attending Mass there on the first Sunday of Advent, inspired me to reflect on the season of Advent and how it relates to Mary MacKillop.