Brisbane’s Cathedral of St Stephen will conclude the myriad of recent celebrations marking Mary MacKillop’s Canonisation with a Mass of Thanksgiving this Sunday November 7th.
Archbishop John Bathersby will celebrate the Mass, which starts at 2.30pm.
All people are welcome to attend and it is the Archbishop’s hope that as many as possible can come together with the Josephite Sisters to mark the significance of the canonisation to this Archdiocese.
During her life time Saint Mary spent significant periods of time in the Archdiocese.
Saint Mary was resident in Brisbane for approximately 16 months, arriving on New Year’s Eve 1869 and remaining until Easter 1871.
She made 8 visits in total to Queensland, with many of the schools her order established still operating, including St Joseph’s Primary School at Kangaroo Point and St Mary’s Primary at Maryborough.
In May 2009 Pope Benedict XVI granted approval for the Archdiocese to name Mary MacKillop as its patron.
Saint Mary MacKillop attracted sainthood status for the founding of her Australian based order of nuns and pioneering education to the poor.
Her life was a reflection of her famous creed “never see a need without doing something about it”.
On the evening of her canonisation (October 17) more than 1800 people flocked to the Cathedral precinct to witness a simulcast of the event from Rome.
A series of 12 prayer stations, reflecting on different aspects of her life and ministry, were also dotted around the precinct.
A number of baskets, laden with fresh prayer intentions, were gathered up and placed before her shrine, the beautiful sculpture of Mary carved from a camphor laurel tree by artist Rhyl Hinwood and set within St Stephen’s Chapel.
Released by the Catholic Communications Office
November 4, 2010