Responding in Prayer

Mary MacKillop Spirituality Ministry

Josephite Sisters and many others take an opportunity each year to move away from the busyness of their daily lives. They choose to retreat from the surface of life – to become centred and still. Their focus is to deepen their relationship with God and themselves.

The Mary MacKillop Spirituality Ministry is inspired by the Gospel and the lived experience of Saint Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods, and invites all to encounter the Sacred at the heart of everyday life. The Ministry offer experiences for the whole community within spaces that inspire, connect and renew.

View the Mary MacKillop Spirituality Ministry website www.mmsm.org.au with details on all you need to choose your stay, meeting, retreat or historical visit from seven locations across Australia. Book seaside accommodation or hold your next conference in unique heritage centres located in the heart of the CBD, nourish your mind, body and soul at one of our inspiring retreats and workshops, or bring your school group to visit authentic historical museums and learn about Mary MacKillop’s life, interacting with original artifacts belonging to Australia’s first canonised saint.

The Mary MacKillop Spirituality Ministry 2025 – 2026 Retreats and Reflections Days brochure is now available. View brochure here.

Below are other Josephite Spirituality and Heritage Centres:

Aotearoa New Zealand

Australia

New South Wales

Queensland

South Australia

  • St Joseph’s Chapel, Kensington
    • St Joseph’s Chapel is a private Chapel of the Sisters of Saint Joseph.
    • It is located on the sacred grounds of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Kensington.
    • Visitors are welcome for prayer or quiet reflection and is open daily, 10am – 4pm.
    • Entry is via the back door, along the driveway, near the Mary MacKillop Memorial Rose Garden.
    • The Chapel is available for weddings only, from February to December. Couples make their own arrangements for a Priest.
    • Baptisms
      • Please note that the Chapel is not available for the sacrament of baptism.
      • Please contact your local Parish to arrange.
    • For Visitor Information and Wedding Bookings
  • Mary MacKillop Penola Centre, Penola

Western Australia

  • Mary MacKillop Centre South Perth
    • Children love these special days at the Mary MacKillop Centre. Each day is individually designed to meet the needs of the group and includes stories, activities, prayer in the chapel and lunch and games in the garden. It is an opportunity for students to prepare for the Sacraments; learn more about St Mary MacKillop; or hear the story of Irene McCormack, a Sister of Saint Joseph from Western Australia who lived and worked in Peru and, together with four Peruvians, was executed in a remote mountain village in 1991.
    • Tours available Monday to Friday. Bookings are essential. Families, small groups, individuals: by appointment.
    • For School Tour Bookings