Celebrating Mary on her Feast Day

Australia’s first Saint is a woman for today

This year is the 10-year anniversary of the canonisation of Saint Mary of the Cross, Australia’s first Saint. At Mary MacKillop Today, we are reflecting this Feast Day on the qualities and actions that set Mary apart, and how her legacy continues to be relevant today.

Mary MacKillop was an ordinary woman with an extraordinary dream and a big heart. Her dream was to give the poorest families and most neglected children access to education and safe shelter by opening schools. This dream became reality in 1866 when, together with Father Tenison Woods, Mary set up the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (the Josephites). This was the first religious order to be founded by an Australian, and a woman at that.

As a passionate educator, Mary broke through the prejudice of the early 19^th century to educate all—regardless of gender, race, faith, or wealth—while ministering to the vulnerable with compassion. She and the Sisters of St Joseph went wherever the need was greatest. They gave up everything to live and teach amongst the people they served.

Today, 10 years on from the recognition of Mary MacKillop’s holy work, we continue to find hope in her values, character, and actions as a remarkably strong female leader. Right now, in such uncertain and difficult times, we can look to Mary for what it means to persevere. She herself faced fierce opposition throughout her life from people who sought to block her ministry.

In the face of trials, Mary persistently stood by her convictions – while also modelling forgiveness, insisting no ill be spoken of those who wronged her. She showed us how to be courageous in serving others and said, “Never see a need without doing something about it.”

Education in Australia is what it is today, thanks to Mary and the Sisters’ dedication and determination. Mary believed in the power of education to lift communities out of poverty, famously saying, “I’m a teacher, let’s start today!” And like Mary, we here at Mary MacKillop Today, still believe education is the key to improving the lives of vulnerable people, both here in Australia and overseas.

Thanks to the generosity of supporters, we see the impact of education for whole communities every day – right here in Australia, with our First Nation Scholarship holders heading off to university, and rural Australians gaining financial inclusion opportunities.

Gifts from kind supporters are also transforming overseas communities in need through education. We see this in the parents learning to support their children’s schooling in Timor-Leste, in the volunteers working with people with disabilities in Papua New Guinea, in the women learning the skills to earn a fair income in Peru, and in the young children living in informal ‘squatter’ settlements accessing education for the first time in Fiji.

At Mary MacKillop Today, we see the growing legacy of Australia’s first Saint written into the hearts and minds of people, not only in Australia but around the world. Mary MacKillop is a role model for all who believe in serving the most vulnerable and neglected.

Our prayer is that we always aspire to her values and emulate her spirit. May the celebration of her Feast Day on the 8^th August and the 10-year anniversary of her ascension to Saint on 17^th October remind us all to take action and make a difference.

Mary is indeed a woman for today! By reflecting on her experience, our own lives are enriched. We share this blessing with you to give thanks for the example she brings to all of us, now and into the future.

Saint Mary MacKillop blessing

Living God,
animating presence in our world,
with gratitude we remember the life of Mary MacKillop,
her influence in our world
and her legacy in our Josephite spiritual homeland.
Inspire us, to be fully alive in your mission
and faithfully kind among your people.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, friend of the poor,
and the Spirit, filling us with confidence.
Amen

Let us all unite in prayer, wherever we are this Feast Day, by joining one of the livestream Masses below:

Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel North Sydney –  from 9.55am AEST  8 August, via:

https://www.marymackillopplace.org.au/feast-day-mass-8-aug…/