August 8--St. Mary MacKillop, Virgin, Religious, and Foundress

Australian Stamp of St. Mary MacKillop.

She is the first saint of Australia and, at one time, was excommunicated by her bishop. Now that’s a headline! The daughter of Scottish immigrants, St. Mary MacKillop was born in Melbourne in 1842. As a teen she became a governess and eventually taught at a school and opened her own boarding school. In 1866 Fr. Julian Woods invited her and her sisters to open a Catholic school. That same year other women joined St. Mary and they became the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, also known as the Josephites. The local bishop invited them to found a new school. The religious community developed a rule which “emphasized poverty, a dependence on divine providence, no ownership of personal belongings, faith that God would provide and willingness to go where needed.”

They expanded, but this sometimes caused issues about control of the schools. Bishops wanted episcopal control, while St. Mary MacKillop wanted control of the schools by the religious order. Two bishops told the sisters to leave their dioceses and another excommunicated her on grounds that she was insubordinate. Eventually, the excommunication was lifted. St. Mary persevered, her order was approved by Pope Leo XIII and their structure, living in the community and not in convents, along with the superior general being chosen by the congregation, was maintained. They primarily educated children, but also served the poor and those in need. St. Mary MacKillop died in 1909 and was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. Today there are over 600 Josephites serving in six countries.

It takes a strong will as well as a loving, holy life to become a saint! Sometimes, our fallen brothers and sisters in the Church can be a source of suffering! Let us not be discouraged! St. Mary MacKillop, pray for us.