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