"Always remember to love one another . . . in God and for God" "Love one another, bear with one another, and let charity guide you in all your life."
What the world was like
Australia was a British colony at the time Mary MacKillop was born. In the early days of the colony, the British government had sent convicted criminals to Australia as their punishment. It was a long and dangerous voyage to Australia, and many of those who went never returned home. As time went on, more people became aware of the wealth of possibilities that Australia had to offer. The country was rich in natural resources and had many unique forms of wildlife. Australia stopped being used as a place of exile and many people from different countries chose to sail around the world to begin a new life there.
In 1851, gold was discovered. This discovery increased the number of people who wanted to immigrate to Australia. Many men and women came from Great Britain, but also other countries such as France, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Hungary, and China. Large cities such as Melbourne and Sydney grew. Other people set out to farm the Australian outback, or frontier. The colonies of Australia set up their own government in 1901. They still recognized the authority of the British queen, but they made their own laws.
Who she was
Mary Helen MacKillop was born near Melbourne, Australia. Her parents were both immigrants from Scotland. Mary was the oldest of their eight children. Like many people who had immigrated to Australia, Mary's father had come looking for new opportunities. Although he made decisions that left the family in extreme poverty, he did provide Mary with the tools to undertake the great work of her life. He had been well educated before coming to Australia, and he gave his daughter Mary an excellent education.
When Mary was 16 years old, she had to find work to help support her family. One of the jobs she found was as teacher to a family living in the country. During this time, she became aware of the conditions existing in the Australian outback, the rural areas of Australia. She became friends with Father Julian Woods, a priest whose parish covered 22,000 square miles, an area twice the size of the state of Massachusetts! Mary saw how difficult it was for Father Woods to minister to such a large area. There were not many opportunities for religious education in the outback. Mary dreamed of opening a school, but because her family depended on her income, she was unable to follow this dream immediately.
In 1866, with the encouragement of Father Woods, Mary opened Saint Joseph's School in an abandoned stable. Despite this poor beginning, many young women were inspired by Mary's work and joined her. The Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph was founded. They started schools all over Australia, in the outback and in large cities. They also expanded their mission to open orphanages, shelters for the homeless and those in trouble, and homes for ex-prisoners wanting to make a new start. Mary had seen through her family's experience that moving to Australia had not brought success to all people. She wanted to give them the support they needed to make a new life in the new country.
When Mary became a sister, she took the name Sister Mary of the Cross. This reminder of the suffering of Jesus encouraged her during her own difficulties. Mary was criticized for the way in which she did just about everything. Instead of appreciating the good work that Mary and the other sisters were doing, some people were jealous of their success. These attacks made Mary's work very difficult, and almost resulted in the disbanding of the sisters! Mary, however, never attacked those who accused and criticized her. She persisted in the work she felt had been given to her by God. She was always trying to improve her schools and homes, observing other teachers and visiting other organizations to see how they were run. Mary was relentless in her efforts to provide the best Catholic education for the people of Australia.
In 1901, Mary had a stroke that left her an invalid. She could no longer be as active as she had been but she continued to encourage her sisters through letters. She died in Sydney at the age of 67.
What this saint means to us
Blessed Mary MacKillop faced much criticism and opposition in her life. She knew what it was like to be misunderstood. Her experience taught her the importance of showing charity and understanding to others.
