Mary MacKillop
Mary MacKillop was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1842. She was the first of eight children born
to Scottish immigrants, Flora and Alexander MacKillop. Alexander, who had spent some years
studying for the priesthood, was well educated but unfortunately lacked financial awareness, with
the result that family was often without a home of their own, depending on relatives and friends for
support.
From an early age Mary had to face many difficult situations and choices. To support her family
she went to work as a clerk in a stationary shop at the age of sixteen. She later worked as a
teacher in a local school and for a time was governess for her uncle’s children in Penola, a small
town in South Australia. While at Penola she met the parish priest, Fr Julian Tenison Woods, who
ministered in a parish of 22,000 sq miles travelling from one isolated settlement to another on
horseback.
Fr Woods was concerned about the lack of religious education for the children of the outback,
many of whose parents were illiterate. At the time Mary’s family depended on her income and it
was not until 1866 that Mary, inspired and encouraged by Fr Woods and with the assistance of her
two sisters, opened the first St Joseph’s School in a disused stable in Penola.
The school was a great success but it soon became clear that what was needed was a Religious
Congregation adapted to the needs and conditions of the bush. Mary generously responded to
God’s call and became the foundress of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart.
Soon many young women came to join Mary and after intensive training by her they were sent out
in twos and threes to open Catholic schools, first in the outback and then in the larger towns and
cities. Mary also opened Orphanages, Providences to cater for the homeless and destitute, and
Refuges for ex-convicts and ex-prostitutes who wished to make a fresh start in life. Her motto was
“Never see a need without doing something about it”.
Throughout her life Mary met with opposition from people outside the Church and from some within
it. In 1871 Mary was wrongfully excommunicated from the Church by Bishop Shiels. Six months
later the dying bishop regretted his decision and revoked the excommunication.
In 1873 Mary was advised to go to Rome to have the Order and its Constitution officially approved.
It was a long and dangerous journey and Mary depended on friends to pay her passage. While
waiting for Rome’s decision Mary travelled to England, to Scotland where she met with some of her
relatives, and to Ireland. Her goals were to examine educational methods and resources being
used over here and to recruit members for the Sisters of St Joseph. In 1874 when she returned to
Australia, accompanied by fifteen young Irish postulants, she carried with her the Vatican’s
approval for the new Congregation.
The Congregation expanded rapidly in Australia and soon Mary was invited to open schools in
New Zealand. In 1902, while visiting New Zealand, Mary had a stroke. Years of hardship, travel
and anxiety had taken their toll on this remarkable woman. She died on August 8th 1901 in the
convent in North Sydney where her tomb is now enshrined and where thousands of pilgrims come
to pray through her intercession. Three popes have prayed at the tomb of this humble,
faith-filled woman.
Today the Sisters of St Joseph continue the work begun by their saintly foundress in Australia and
New Zealand as well as Ireland, Scotland, Peru and Brazil. New challenges call for new responses
as the Congregation adapts to the needs of the twenty-first century. Wherever they are, the
Josephites, as they are called, continue to respond to the needs of the Church and those of the
people to whom they minister.
Ireland is very significant in the history of the Sisters of St Joseph. Mary spent over three months
here visiting Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Dungarvin, Cappoquin, Lismore, Limerick, Ennis, Gort
and Loughrae. The fifteen women who accompanied Mary were soon joined by others and in 1927
a school was established at Newmarket, Co Cork. Over the next forty years several hundred young
women travelled from Newmarket to Australia to join the Josephites.
In recent years some forty Irish born Sisters of St Joseph have returned to their homeland to
minister or to retire. In Ireland the Josephite Sisters live and work mainly in areas around Munster
and Dublin.
On 19th January 1995 Mary MacKillop was beatified by Pope John Paul II. On 17th October 2010
Mary was canonised by Pope Benedict XI with the title she chose at her profession. Officially she is
known as St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
If you would like to know more about St Mary MacKillop or the Sisters of St Joseph, or if you have
a prayer request to be placed on Mary’s tomb visit the websites www.sosj.org.au or
www.marymackillop.org.au
Prayer
Loving God,
We thank you for the example
Of Mary MacKillop
Who in her living of the Gospel
Witnessed to the human dignity of each person.
She faced life’s challenges with faith and courage.
We pray through her intercession for our needs.
....................
We make this prayer through Jesus Christ.
Amen