MacKillop, Saint Mary (1842-1909), was an Australian nun who founded, with priest Julian Tenison-Woods, the Roman Catholic order the Sisters of St. Joseph. The Sisters operated throughout Australia and New Zealand. It was a self-governing order, and some members of the church leadership opposed the fact that a woman led it. MacKillop was excommunicated (cast out of the church) by the bishop of Adelaide for five months from 1871 to 1872, but Pope Leo XIII approved the order in 1888.
Mary MacKillop was born on Jan. 15, 1842, in Fitzroy, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Mary lived in poverty during her childhood. At the age of 14, she became a governess to help support her family. In 1861, she met Tenison-Woods, an English missionary. He inspired her to dedicate herself to serving needy people in the bush. Together, they opened Australia’s first free Roman Catholic school. In 1865, at Penola, in South Australia, she began her work of educating poor people and helped establish the Sisters of St. Joseph there. Mary took her religious vows in 1866 and assumed the name Mother Mary of the Cross. In Adelaide in 1867, she extended her work to serve poor women and children. She eventually supervised 17 schools.
Mary died on Aug. 8, 1909. In 1995, she was beatified by Pope John Paul II. Beatification is the last step before sainthood is conferred. In 2010, she was canonized (made a saint) by Pope Benedict XVI and became the first Australian saint.
