Mary Mackillop Biography

Superior Essays
Title:
Good morning teacher and class, today I will present to you a summary on the life and achievements of St Mary Helen MacKillop, the first Australian saint. I will outline about how Mary MacKillop was influenced by scripture and the society in which she lived.

Introduction:
Saint Mary MacKillop was a passionate and courageous catholic woman of action. Mary MacKillop (1842-1909), known in life as Mother Mary of the cross, showed compassion for anyone in need regardless of race, colour or faith. Through-out her life, Mary MacKillop kept her faith in God and bravely challenged those who did not support her vision for a more caring world. Mary believed in the power of education for all and set up schools around Australia to make sure those
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Mary viewed crosses as blessings in disguise, an opportunity to learn and grow. Devoting her life to God, Mary MacKillop wore a plain black dress as a sign of a radical life change. The idea that “God will provide” became a staple for Mary and served her well and truly throughout life. Mary MacKillop was a Catholic - She practised the teachings of the Catholic Church and shared the beliefs of other Catholics in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Responding to the needs of society:
Mary cared about the people who had no one to look after them, children in the country who had no school to go to, people who were old and sick and people who had nowhere to live. Mary went to work as a teacher in Penola, a little country town in South Australia. Mary’s school offered all students the opportunity to learn basic life skills. Throughout her life, Mary had a great desire to heed God’s will and to help those in need. This powerful inspiration compelled her to educate both the children in her care and the impoverished children who lived in the surrounding area. Mary was driven by the belief that education should be available to all, despite their financial troubles or social circumstances. Mary’s motto was ‘never see a need without doing something about it’. This led her to minister in many different ways to those who were poor and pushed to the margins. She
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Sisters of St Joseph today are a vigorous group of women working in Australia, New Zealand, East Timor, Ireland, Peru and Brazil and follow in Mary’s footsteps doing a wide variety of works, revealing to all the hospitable heart of God. The Sisters affirm the increasing recognition that, right throughout the world, God is gracing many with the spirit of Mary MacKillop. This is demonstrated by so many taking up her call to never see a need without doing something about it. The Sisters today, as it were, have set Mary free for the world - a world which is in great need of the example such a woman gives - a woman who, despite poor health and obstacles, responded so generously to her God.” (www.marymackillop.org.au,

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