Canonisation of Blessed Mary MacKillop
Canonisation all relative for St Marys family
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| Mary MacKillop descendant Mark Sheehan with children Kiana and Brandon. |
It’s not every day you get to celebrate the Canonisation of a relative - but that’s precisely what the Sheehan family of St Marys Our Lady of the Rosary Parish will be doing in St Peter’s Square in Rome on 17 October.
Parishioner Mark Sheehan – fifth cousin of Mary MacKillop – only became aware of the family’s connection to Australia’s first Saint around 20 years ago, when one of his great aunts was researching the family tree.
Today, Mark, his sister Kim, wife Sharon and the Sheehan’s two children – Our Lady of the Rosary Primary students Brandon and Kiana – are preparing for the family celebration of a lifetime as they journey to Rome for Mary MacKillop’s Canonisation.
Twelve-year-old Brandon (sixth cousin of Mary MacKillop) was selected by Our Lady of the Rosary Primary Principal Mark Geerligs to join 50 representatives from the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta who will make the pilgrimage to Rome.
“I think actually being in St Peter’s Square for the Canonisation is going to be one of those out-of-body experiences…I won’t be able to believe I’m there,” Mark Sheehan said. "For Brandon, it's something he's going to have with him for the rest of his life. He’ll be able to tell his kids about this one day.”
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Laura leads way to Rome for Canonisation
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| Laura Wonson (right) and her mum, Kayleen, are preparing to visit Rome for the Canonisation of Mary MacKillop on 17 October. |
Penrith's St Nicholas of Myra Primary Year 6 Student Laura Wonson's first overseas trip is likely to always remain one of her most memorable - travelling to Rome for the Canonisation of Australia's first Saint.
Laura joins Brandon Sheehan as one of two students from the Parramatta Diocese who have been chosen to attend Mary MacKillop's Canonisation in St Peter's Square on 17 October.
Laura and mum Kayleen will travel with more than 50 people from the Parramatta Diocese, after Laura was selected by St Nicholas of Myra Primary principal Anne Hines to represent the Diocese on the pilgrimage.
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Soul mates brought together in spirit of Mary MacKillop
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| Adrian Thompson and Eun Jung Kim - soul mates in the spirit of Mary MacKillop. |
There’s little doubt that Australia’s first Saint was watching over Adrian Thompson and Eun Jung Kim when they first met at Mary MacKillop Outreach in Lewisham and later married at North Sydney’s Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel – and absolutely no doubt at all she will be there again for the couple as they stand in St Peter’s Square in Rome on 17 October for her Canonisation.
The Westmead Sacred Heart Parishioners, who first met while working at Mary MacKillop Outreach in 2005 and married at the Mary MacKillop chapel in 2008, are being sponsored by the Sisters of St Joseph to accompany an Australian youth contingent to Rome for Mary Mackillop’s Canonisation.
“Mary MacKillop means so much to Eun Jung and myself. Her spirit has been central to our lives,” said Adrian, who is also the Co-ordinator of Josephite Community Aid in Seven Hills. “Being there on the day of the Canonisation, standing next to your soul mate and knowing that you were brought together by being a part of the Josephite journey…it is just going to be an amazing experience for us to share.”
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Margaret to walk in the footsteps of Mary in Rome
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| Margaret Farrell. |
Aboriginal Catholic Social Service (ACSS) Team Member Margaret Farrell says she is ‘excited but humbled’ that a Sisters of St Joseph-sponsored trip to Rome for the Canonisation of Mary MacKillop will allow her to briefly walk in the footsteps of Australia’s first saint - but it could easily be argued Margaret’s been treading that path for the last 22 years.
Margaret has helped countless people in her work since joining ACSS (a part of Centacare Catholic Social Services - Diocese of Parramatta) in 1988.
Thanks to the Sisters of St Joseph's sponsorship, Margaret will attend the Canonisation of Mary MacKillop in Rome on 17 October, after spending three days visiting Italian landmarks and churches that marked important turning points in the struggles Mary faced in her life.
“There’s so much we can learn from Mary MacKillop’s own plight and from all the work she did with so many people, including Aboriginal people,” Margaret said. “It’s going to be amazing to be in Rome to walk in the footsteps of Mary MacKillop for a few days.”
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Magic moment awaits Parramatta family at MACKILLOP
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| Rosie McClelland (far right) at MACKILLOP rehearsals. |
When the curtain goes up on the international debut of the musical MACKILLOP next month, it will mark a special moment in time for one Parramatta family both on and off the stage.
Ten-year-old Rosie McClelland, a Year 5 student at St Patrick’s Primary School in Parramatta, is appearing in the children’s cast of the show, while mother Sharon and grandmother Deborah Rogers will be among the opening night crowd at the Seymour Centre in Chippendale on Friday 1 October.
“Our little Rosie is absolutely loving it – it’s such a positive and talented cast. The voices are amazing,” Sharon McClelland said. “It means so much to our family, especially my mother Deborah, who has such a strong history with the Josephite Sisters.”
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Mary MacKillop Canonisation News Index
Gracing the stage: magic moment awaits Parramatta family at MACKILLOP
Mary MacKillop Prayer of the Church
Laura leads way to Rome for Canonisation
New Mary MacKillop docu-drama 'superb'
New exhibition tells of Mary MacKillop’s work with Sydney’s poor
Canonisation all relative for St Marys family
Wooden cross containing the relic of Mary MacKillop presented to Sisters of St Joseph
Soul mates brought together in the spirit of Mary MacKillop
Catholic students celebrate life of Mary MacKillop
Nine-week Mary MacKillop Novena
Reaching the People: Mary MacKillop in Sydney Cove
Catholic Outlook: Josephites' Ministry on the Margins
History Channel to air Mary MacKillop Documentary
MacKillop Gala Dinner $1.5m success
The Reel Mary: search for saint on small screen
'We are all called to be Saints'
Mary MacKillop Feast Day a celebration for all
Celebration dinner marks Canonisation of Australia’s first saint
Margaret to walk in the footsteps of Mary in Rome
Having nun of it: top Australian soprano stars in MacKillop musical
Mary MacKillop pilgrimage of the heart
Australia's WYD connection rekindled at Mary MacKillop Canonisation Vigil
Mary MacKillop makes it to iTunes & YouTube
‘Looking for Mary’: launching Australia's newest musical MACKILLOP
New Grant ‘Maps’ Australia’s First Saint
Catholic Outlook: New Missal to include Australian observances
Big youth pilgrimage planned for Blessed Mary MacKillop Canonisation
Special Liturgical resources for Mary MacKillop Canonisation Celebrations
Canonisation Pilgrimage 'largest to leave Australian shores'
Mary MacKillop makes her mark into cyberspace
Reviews & resources
Little Brown Book a pot of gold
That Very Troublesome Woman: The Dramatic Search for Mary MacKillop
Mary MacKillop: Soul of the Sunburnt Country
Reflective reading in the spirit of Mary MacKillop
Events
Parramatta Diocesan Canonisation Celebrations
‘The Mustard Seed’ ecumenical prayer gathering
Towards Canonisation - Resources for Schools
Catholic Schools in the Parramatta Diocese are preparing for the November Canonisation of Mary MacKillop with a focus on learning, reflection, formation and celebration.
Towards Canonisation resources for schools can be found at the Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta website.
Go to Canonisation Resources for Schools at the Catholic Education website