Circumstances call Mary MacKillop to Sydney… 140 years ago
Mary MacKillop was a prolific letter writer to her Sisters as they spread across Australia and New Zealand. She provided encouragement, practical and spiritual advice. Her letter dated 13 November 1883 was a very personal one to the Sisters in South Australia. What were the circumstances which led to her leaving Adelaide at short notice? […]
140th Anniversary of the Arrival of the Josephites in Temuka, ANZ
I felt like the poor man who was made Lord Mayor of Dublin. I could only wonder was it myself who was there. Sr Calasanctius to Mary MacKillop on her arrival in Temuka, 1883 On 1 November we will be remembering 140 years since Mary MacKillop sent three Sisters to Temuka to set up the […]
Mary MacKillop goes to Scotland
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. When Mary MacKillop went to Rome to seek Papal approval for the Congregation […]
Saint Mary MacKillop Prayer
We invite you to pray with St Mary MacKillop – a prayer written by our Irish Sisters of Saint Joseph…
World Youth Day 2023
World Youth Day (WYD) is an international event for young Catholics. This year, WYD took place in Lisbon, Portugal from 1-6 August. I was blessed to be one of the estimated 1.5 million pilgrims who gathered for the event. I travelled to WYD with the Sydney Archdiocese, and then completed most of the pilgrimage with […]
A Favourite Christian Feast – The Assumption of Mary, Mother of God
Do you have a favourite Christian feast? St Mary MacKillop claimed the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (or Mother of God) as hers.[1] This feast has its origins in Jerusalem before the end of the fourth century. The early Christians held Mary, the loving and courageous Jewish Mother of Jesus, as one of their […]
Saint Mary MacKillop Feast Day 2023
A Message from Sr Monica Cavanagh, Congregational Leader, Sisters of Saint Joseph. Let us rejoice in the gift of Mary MacKillop to our Church and our world as we celebrate her feast day.
The Other Mary
In the Gospel of Matthew, we are told that “towards dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.” (28:1) Earlier we had been told that, after Joseph of Arimathea had placed the body of Jesus in a new tomb and sealed it, “Mary Magdalene […]
Mary MacKillop, An Example and Inspiration
I consider I have this day assisted at the deathbed of a Saint. [1] Cardinal Moran 1909 We know that a saint is someone whose life is lived in intimate union with God, and for God, accepting God’s will in all events of life. (One’s life is examined to be considered worthy by the Church […]
Mary MacKillop’s Virtues, Values and Time in Arrowtown, Aotearoa New Zealand
How do Mary MacKillop’s virtues and values inspire the happenings of everyday life? Sr Margaret Mary Sexton wrote: When the time came for Mother Mary MacKillop to begin her visitation of the other houses, she feared her little Arrow community would be very lonely so far away from all the other convents.Sr Margaret Mary Section, […]
Mary MacKillop’s Example of Charitable Speech
I did think she [Mary MacKillop] was very patient and showed us all the love and welcome a mother could when we joined the Sydney sisterhood. One thing that struck me particularly was her charity in speaking to others. Sr Isidore Dunning 1925 In our world of instant news and information, we are constantly confronted […]
Mary MacKillop goes to London and Paray-le-Monial
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. When we celebrated Easter week earlier this year, we were powerfully reminded of […]