130th Anniversary of Mary MacKillop’s first visit to Aotearoa New Zealand
January 24, 2024
Mary MacKillop’s first visit in Aotearoa New Zealand began from her arrival on 25 January 1894 and concluded on 8 March 1895.
The itinerary of Mary’s visit, ascertained from correspondence compiled by Sister Anne Marie Power, shows that some places were visited more than once.
Twenty-eight years on from the founding of the Congregation in 1866, Mary visited the Sisters in Aotearoa New Zealand. This was a visitation of the Sisters, many of whom had been sent from Adelaide and Sydney by Mary at the request of the bishops in New Zealand for teaching staff. The Sisters were in regular communication with Mary by letters and they were encouraged to write often. It must have brought great joy to see her again in person.
Beatification of Mary MacKillop Anniversary
January 18, 2024
My first impression goes back to the morning prayer held in St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney before the beatification, when Pope John Paul II came to officiate at this event. The presence of the pontiff at such a gathering was awe inspiring, with some of our Sisters able to meet him personally.
Mary MacKillop: Gifted and Graced
January 14, 2024
No doubt 15 January 1842 was a day of celebration for Flora MacKillop (nee MacDonald) and Alexander MacKillop and their extended family on the birth of their first daughter in Merino Cottage, Fitzroy, Melbourne. Mary MacKillop’s parents were Highland Scots, Alexander MacKillop arriving in Sydney in January 1838 and Flora MacDonald in April 1840. Father Geoghegan blessed their marriage on 14 July 1840 and baptised the child Maria Ellen, [1] known as Mary Helen, on 28 February 1842.
Christmas now, with Mary MacKillop
December 8, 2023
Christmas is near. With such joy, we celebrate the birth of a Child, a reminder that we are all children of a lavishly loving God who, in Jesus, chose to have no boundaries between divinity and humanity!
Following Jesus, Mary MacKillop lived in a way that held no boundaries around her love for God and her love for humanity. Love is love is Love.
30th Anniversary of Reinterment of Mary MacKillop in the New Shrine
Mary MacKillop’s new tomb 1993.
The date, 20 December 1993, is etched in my memory not only because it was my mother’s 77th birthday but also because I was witness to an exuberant outpouring of excitement, adoration and awe.
We are but travellers here
“We are but travellers here!” These words of St Mary MacKillop tell the story of those who have walked through the doors of St Joseph’s House of Studies in Lyneham since it opened in 1969.
This House, once a home for Sisters of Saint Joseph in training, was reopened in June 2020 as MacKillop House, a place of refuge and safety for homeless women.
As one of the first residents of the House of Studies it is a privilege to be involved once again with this special place.
Come and stay at the Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre, East Melbourne!
November 22, 2023Are you planning a trip to Melbourne this festive season? If so, we welcome you to come and stay at the Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre in East Melbourne.
Situated in the heart of Melbourne, the Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre offers visitors a scenic escape from the hustle and bustle of the Melbourne CBD, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in a place of peace, calmness, and serenity.
In the Footsteps of Mary MacKillop at Kincumber
Recently, I had the privilege of meeting a group of parishioners from Morpeth (in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese) and lead them on a pilgrimage In the Footsteps of Mary MacKillop at St Joseph’s Spirituality and Education Centre, Kincumber South situated on the Central Coast of New South Wales.
The Sisters of Saint Joseph have maintained a significant link to Kincumber since Mary MacKillop and the Sisters first established this site as a home for boys in 1887.