Significant contributions Mary MacKillop made towards establishing the Catholic Church and Catholic Schools in Australia

By Mara10

  • When was Mary born.

    Mary was born in Fitzroy, Melbourne

  • Mary meets Father Woods.

    Mary meets Father Julian Woods and the two decide to build a Catholic school in the SA town.

  • Mary's first school.

    Together, Mary and Father Woods opened the first free Catholic school in Penola. At first in a converted stable and later in this more substantial stone building.

  • After the launch of the first St Joseph school.

    A year after the launch of the first St Joseph school, Mary was asked to travel to Adelaide to start a school by Bishop Shiel.

  • Mary when she went to Queensland.

    Mary MacKillop and the other Sisters of Saint Joseph arrived at the invitation of James Quinn, first catholic bishop of Brisbane and the founder of the Catholic Education system in Queensland.

  • How many schools Mary set up in Brisbane.

    The Sisters of Saint Joseph and Mary set up three schools in Brisbane for poor children and another school in Maryborough, 250km north of Brisbane.

  • School in New Zealand

    They'd finally managed to open a school in New Zealand.

  • How many schools Mary set up.

    By the time Mary MacKillop died at the age of 67, she and the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart had opened 117 schools with a total of over 12,400 pupils.

  • When Mary was canonised.

    Mary was canonised and made a Saint by Pope Benedict XVI in St Peter's Square in Rome.