CENTENARY OF THE ENTRY OF BLESSED MARY MACKILLOP INTO ETERNAL LIFE—8 AUGUST
Australia as nation and a Church rejoices this weekend as we remember Mary MacKillop leaving this earth at Sydney for eternal life.
We thank God for her heroic witness during her sixty-seven years of earthly life.
The oldest of a family of ten Mary bore the brunt of an impoverished, unstable home as her father did not work and did not provide for his family. Mary went to work early as a governess, a shop assistant and teacher. Throughout all her unhappy childhood, her mother Flora said ‘God will provide’. Mary always had a keen sense of God’s watchful care and her life was full of trust in God’s providence.
Today we rejoice that this woman of God who said:
‘never see a need without trying to do something about it’,
has influenced numberless men and women, especially the Sisters of St Joseph to follow the gospel call of compassion.
As a parish, we rejoice that the Sisters of St Joseph have been present among us for ninety-three years. We pray for our present sisters and those working the world from Peru to Ireland.
May Blessed Mary place our needs before
Christ in heaven and increase our trust in
God’s providence to us.
Fr Kevin
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Sunbury 