Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Sydney (Agenzia Fides) - Building a system of free education for poor children was the life mission of Mother Mary Mac Killop, first Australian to be beatified and now on the way to canonisation. The spiritual legacy of Mother Mac Killop still bears fruit in Australia especially in Penola in southern Australia where in the mid 19th century Mother Mary opened a first school, a small wooden hut. Today the Sisters she co-founded with Fr Julian Tenison Woods the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (Josephites) are present in Oceania, Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Her feast day 8 August, is celebrated by children and teachers all over Australia with special prayers and cultural and pastoral initiatives. “The spiritual legacy she left us lives on. She used to say, ‘never just stand and look and not do anything when you see someone in need. She taught us to help neighbours for love of God”, say Catholics in Penola.
Mary was born to Scottish parents on 15 January 1842 at Fitzroy, Victoria. At the age of 16 to help her family she went to work as a governess in Penola. She met Fr Julian Tenison Woods who needed someone to teach religion to the parish children. After much spiritual struggling in 1866 inspired by the Holy Spirit and encouraged by Fr Woods, Mary opened the first St Joseph’s School in an abandoned shed in Penola, and this was the beginning of her mission to provide schooling for poor children. She was joined by several young women and the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph was born. In 1867, the Bishop of Adelaide asked Mary to open her schools in that city. Later her schools were opened all over Australia, then in New Zealand, Peru, Brazil, Thailand and Uganda.
Mother Mary died on 8 August 1909 at Mount Street Convent in north Sydney, where she is buried. She was beatified on 19 January 1995, in Sydney by Pope John Paul II. Today there are over 1,200 of her Sisters teaching in schools for orphans, street children, children of Aboriginal communities and other children in need.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 7/9/2006 righe 25 parole 256)
