Mary MacKillop Report by Emily

Mary MacKillop

Mary Mackillop was born in Melbourne on the 15th of January 1842. She lived a long life of 67 years. She cared and gave respect to everyone.

Mary Mackillop’s parents were Scottish and their names were Alexander Mackillop (dad) and Flora MacDonald (mum). Mary also had seven siblings and including her eight. She was also the oldest. Mary Mackillop’s parents married in Melbourne on the 14th
of July 1840 and two year’s later Mary was born. Her father (Alexander) died on the 19th of December 1868 and was 56 years old. Including Mary there were 4 girl children and 4 boy children in her family. John was the oldest boy and died at the age of 22. Peter was the youngest and also died at the age of 22. Mary’s sister Maggie died at the age of 29 years old. None of the children in her family married.

Mary Mackillop was a great Australian woman who inspired God’s work. Mary worked very hard to give education to the poor kids, especially the ones in the bush. She made many schools for children who didn’t have enough money for other schools. Mary opened her first school in Adelaide.

Mary Mackillop was a very loving and caring person. Even though she was kicked out of the church she still did her work like Jesus. Many women came to join Mary. Together they opened orphanages; they helped the people without homes and those who needed a chance. This good work by all the women and Mary set up the ‘Sisters of St Joseph.’ She always forgave those who were mean to her and never stopped believing in God’s love.

On May the 11th 1901she had a stroke and she could still think and talk, but couldn’t move around. Eight years later she died in Sydney on the 8th of August 1909. Even though her body has left the earth her loving strength is still going.

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Mary MacKillop Report by Carla

Blessed Mary MacKillop

“Never see a need without trying to do something about it”

Early Life
Mary Helen MacKillop was born on the 15th of January 1842 and was born at Brunswick Street Fitzroy in Melbourne. She was the eldest of 8 children and her parents names were Alexander and Flora MacKillop. Mary was Scottish and grew up to be a Shopgirl to help her family, because they were very poor. Mary went to a small private school and also got home schooled by her Father.

Mary’s Accomplishments
Some of Mary’s accomplishments were being a Governess, which is a home school teacher, at the age of 18 and lived at her Aunt and Uncle’s place in Penola. She also taught in the Catholic Denominational School in Portland when she was 14. She was involved in being a principal of a small boarding school. Father Woods (a priest from Penola) invited Mary and her two sisters Lexie and Annie to Penola in SA to open a Catholic School in 1866.They opened the school in stables and had renovations done by Mary’s brother. The MacKillop’s taught more than 50 children.

Sisterhood
In 1867, Mary MacKillop became the first sister, Mother Superior (Head of Nuns) of the newly formed order of ‘The Sisters of Saint Joseph’ in the convent in Grote Street in Adelaide. The Sisters of Saint Joseph was the first religious group started in Australia. Father Woods and Mary wrote up special rules for the sisters to live by and follow. By the end of 1867 ten other sisters had joined the Josephites.

Death
Mary spent much of her time travelling with her sisters. While visiting New Zealand in 1902 she suffered a severe stroke. Since then she had been in a wheelchair and her movements were restricted. On the 8th of August 1909 Mary Helen MacKillop passed away. She was laid to rest at Gore Hill Cemetery. Her body has been moved to the Memorial Chapel in Mount St, Sydney in a tomb. After her death, The Sisters of Saint Joseph continued with the education program and in 1911 they opened a new school at Terowie. Now the 8th day of every month has become a special day for pilgrams, where they go to Mary MacKillop Place, and pray beside her tomb.


How Mary MacKillop Lived the Gospel Values
Mary lived the gospel values by listening and responding to the call of the Holy Spirit in her life and by also praying her special prayer: ‘Most loving Lord, help me to never see a need with out trying to do something about it’.

Mary MacKillop Report by Marcus

Mary MacKillop’s Life

Early Life
On January 15, 1842 Mary Helen MacKillop was born. She was raised with Scottish parents her father Alexander MacKillop and her mother Flora MacDonald in Fitzroy, Melbourne. Mary was the eldest of all eight children of Alexander MacKillop and Flora MacDonald, she was well educated by her dad who studied for a few years of priesthood in Rome.

Previous Careers
At the age fourteen Mary started to work her very first career was a clerk in Melbourne then later on she became a teacher in Portland, Melbourne. A while later in order to help her needy family Mary became a governess in Penola, South Australia. She was in charge of taking care of the children and teaching the children in Penola about Jesus as well as the children in the outback.

Her Life with Fr Woods
At the age of sixteen Mary met Fr Julian Tenison Woods whose parish was twenty-two thousand square miles or fifty-six thousand square kilometers. Father Julian needed help in teaching the children in the outback about Jesus, so Mary nominated herself to teach those children. At the time Mary's family depended on her income so she was not free to follow her dream. However, in 1866, greatly inspired and encouraged by Father Woods, Mary opened the first Saint Joseph's School.

How She Lived the Gospel Values
Mary lived the Gospel Values by opening her heart to help children who did not have an education about Jesus so she went out to help those children so they could also go out and live the Good Word.

Mary MacKillop Report by Keita

Mary MacKillop

Mary was born on the fifteenth of January 1842. She was born to Scottish parents. Mary was born at a place called Fitzroy in Victoria. Her family was usually homeless so they stayed at their relatives and friends house.

When Mary was sixteen, she met Father Julian Tension Woods. Father Woods had fifty six thousand square kilometres of land. He also needed help teaching children in the outback religion. So Mary decided to help him.

Some other women came and helped Mary teach too. That started the Sisters of Saint Joseph. In 1867, Bishop Sheil said to Mary to go to Adelaide and teach Religion there. From then the sisters spread all around Australia and other countries.

In 1871, that Bishop Sheil excommunicated Mary from the church. Still, Mary did not stop doing the good things. Five months later, Bishop Sheil was dying and he realised that excommunicating Mary was a wrong decision. Then he communicated her back into the church.

Mary did not always have perfect health. But bad health did not stop her excellent work. Due to a stroke when she was in New Zealand in 1901, she had to come back. She couldn’t move her right arm (because of the stroke) but she used her left arm to write letters: and did a very good job.

Mary Mackillop died on the eighth of August 1909. It is going to be one hundred years since her death.

Mary followed the footsteps of Jesus by always being ready to help someone. She also had the strength to help and care others even when she needed care and help. Mary always went forward: she never gave up.“Never see a need without doing something about it” Mary Mackillop

Mary MacKillop Report by Cath

Mary was born on January 15th 1842 in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy Melbourne. Her father studied priesthood in Rome but her father had went back to native Scotland because of his ill health at 1835. In 1838 he decided to migrate to Australia. Mary’s mother, Flora MacDonald arrived in Melbourne in 1840. It was that year that her mother and father decided to marry and eventually had seven children.

Mary was the eldest of their children and she was educated in private schools and also by her father. Her father left his family behind in 1851 and made a trip back to Scotland which lasted 17 months. He was unsuccessful in making the farm work and at any job he did. The family had to survive on small wages that the children could bring home. Mary made her First Communion at the early age of 9. She started work at the age of 14. Mary took a job of a governess in 1860 for her Aunt and Uncle in South Australia. She looked after their children and taught them. She was set on helping the poor wherever possible and this brought her in contact with Father Julian Edmund Tension Woods. He was a priest in South East Australia. He was very worried that there was not enough education in South Australia. He started a school and became the founder, with Mary who taught at The Sisters of St Joseph. In 1867 she became the first Sister and Mother Superior of the Sisters of St Joseph and moved into the new convert. She dedicated her life to the education of the children of the poor and founded the first Australian religious order.

In 1869 in Brisbane Mary and several other Sisters set up an Order in Queensland. Over the next few years she set up Orders in Port Augusta and Burra. During 1871 Mary was wrongly excommunicated by Bishop Sheil. He was against most things that Mary had fought for. Just before his death in 1872 he instructed Father Hughes to lift the excommunication on Mary. Mary left shortly afterwards to go to Europe to visit as many schools as possible to observe their teaching methods. Mary was to spend almost 2 years there and she brought approval back from Rome for her Sisters and the work they did. In 1877 the Order operated more than forty schools in and around Adelaide, as well as New South Wales and Queensland. Mary was now known as Mother Mary and she was able to continue her Religion and other good works which included visiting people in prison.

Father Joseph Tappeiner had given a solid support to Mary. She had also the support of Bishop Reynolds of Adelaide. Archbishop Vaughan of Sydney who was appointed in 1877 made life a little easier for Mary and her sisters. However, when Vaughan died in 1882, Bishop Reynolds had one aim and that was to destroy Mother Mary. He was successfully in exiling Mary. He was however unsuccessful in crushing her. Mary continued with her work in Sydney and tried to provide as much support to those in South Australia. In 1883 the Order was successful in setting up in New Zealand, where Mary stayed for 3 years.

Mary supported the Sisters of St Joseph by writing letters of support, advice and encouragement and sometimes just to keep in touch. Mary was back in South Australia in 1896 and in the same year set up an Order in South Island of New Zealand. It was then she became faced with many health problems. She suffered from rheumatism and after a stroke in New Zealand in 1902, Mary became paralysed on her right side. From then on Mary was in a wheelchair, but her speech and mind remained in good health. In 1905 the Sisters had enough confidence in Mary and re-elected her.

Unfortunately Mother Mary died 8th August 1909. She was laid to rest at the Gore Hill Cemetery at North Sydney. 27th January 1914 she was transferred to a vault before the alter of the Mother of God in the Memorial Chapel in Mount Street, Sydney.
One hundred years after her death, the Sisters are still working in many towns in South Australia.

Mary spent her life listening to the word of God and trusted in God. She understood that God would provide and prayed for help in her work. Mary had an understanding towards the poor and with the help of the people around her she was able to follow her destiny in the calling from the Holy Spirit.

Mary MacKillop Report by Kelsey

Life of Mary MacKillop
by Kelsey 4D

On 15 January 1842, Mary Helen MacKillop was born in Victoria, Australia. Mary worked as a shop-girl, teacher and a governess so she could support her family. Mary desperately wanted to have a religious life. Mary was passionate in helping the poor children with their education.

Mary started the Sisters of St Joseph Order in 1866 in South Australia. The Order was to live in poverty and devote themselves to teaching poor children. Mary was excommunicated in 1871 for refusing to obey orders, after 6 months she was allowed back to the church. She then travelled to Rome and throughout Europe studying teaching methods.

Mary set up many schools, charitable institutions and convents across Australia.

Mary moved the headquarters of the Josephite Order to Sydney 1883 because of conflict with the Catholic Church and Bishop Reynolds.

In May 1901 while in New Zealand, Mary suffered a stroke. For the rest of her life she was in a wheelchair, although she was the same strong and passionate person she always was. Unfortunately for the rest of her life Mary suffered from ill health.
Mary MacKillop died on 8 August 1909 in Mount Street, North Sydney where is buried. After Mary died many young women joined the Josephites mostly in Australia and New Zealand but also across the world.

Mary MacKillop inspired great dedication to God’s work. Mary is a great example of courage and dedication to live her life in God’s loving and kind care of everyone in need.
Mary MacKillop believed that even the poor had the right to be like everyone else and deserved to learn and be educated and taught the ways of God.

Mary’s values of love and compassion for those people who did not have much and who were poor are the values reflected by God and the gospel.
When Mary MacKillop died she left the Sisters of Saint Joseph Order in the other members hands, to continue what she had started in 1866, and to this day it still remains to help those in need.

A Prayer taken from a Mary MacKillop’s Feast Day Mass August 2008:Most loving God, we thank you for the example and inspiration of Blessed Mary MacKillop, who in living the scriptural values witnessed to the mission of God and to the dignity of each person. May we who share in her charism have a heart for mission until our last breath. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen

Mary MacKillop Report by Alyssa

Life of Mary MacKillop

MacKillop was born in Melbourne in the suburb of Fitzroy. She was the eldest of eight children. Her parent’s names were Alexander MacKillop and Flora MacDonald. Mary became a shop girl, a governess (a nanny) and a teacher. She did all this to support her family. She was selfless at a very young age, and she also lived the gospel values at a very young age as well.

She taught at Portland in a catholic school, and founded the sisters of St. Joseph to care and teach the poor children. She listened to God; her order was to educate poor children, especially in the bush. God spoke to Mary and Mary was always ready to listen!!!

In 1883, Bishop Reynolds told her to leave her diocese and also banned her from being a sister. When he was on his death bed he called for her and, he asked her for his forgiveness she forgave him as Jesus would and live the gospel values.

Mary maintained her life well until she died in 1909. She suffered from stroke in 1909. Living by her motto “never see a need without doing something about it”. She spread the gospel values and word by opening schools for the poor. She showed God’s love through her courage and trust.
Mary was Beatified by Pope John Paul II on 19th January 1995.