St Mary Mackillop.(keira)

By TurnerE01

  • Birth

    Mary Helen MacKillop born in Brunswick
    Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne on 15 January.
    She was Baptised on 28
    January in St Francis’ Church, Lonsdale
    Street, Melbourne.

  • First holy communion

    Celebrates her first holy communion on August 15.

  • Starts work

    Starts working at age 14 and soon after becomes the primary breadwinner for her family.

  • Becomes governess

    Becomes governess to the children of her uncle, Alexander Cameron, at Penola in South Australia, where she meets Father Julian Tenison Woods, who becomes her spiritual guide.

  • Takes a job

    Takes a job as a teacher at Portland Catholic Denominational School.

  • Starts the first catholic school

    Along with Father Woods, starts the first free Catholic school in Penola, at first in a stable and later in a more substantial stone

  • Teaching the poor

    Joins with Father Woods to form a new religious order of nuns, the Sisters of St Joseph, devoted to teaching the poor, with Mary as mother superior; opens a convent-cottage and a school in Adelaide; takes her religious vows on August 15.

  • Leaves for Queensland

    Takes her final vows on December 8; and leaves for Queensland to open schools there.

  • Sisters grow over the issue

    Opposition to the Sisters grows over the issue of central government and refusal to accept government grants for education; the sisters face trouble in Adelaide over 'visionaries'.

  • excommunicates Mary

    Bishop Laurence Sheil of Adelaide excommunicates Mary on September 22 for alleged insubordination; 47 sisters are expelled.

  • removes the excommunication order

    Bishop Sheil removes the excommunication order on February 23, nine days before he dies; the sisters are restored to their habits on March 19; an investigation vindicates Mary and the sisters; Father Woods is advised to relinquish direction of the sisters.

  • Mary travels to Rome

    Mary travels to Rome for a personal audience with Pope Pius IX, obtains papal approval for the sisterhood but the 'Rule of Life' Father Woods set down is discarded and another is drawn up, causing a breach between Mary and Father Woods.

  • Mary returns to Australia

    Mary returns to Australia with 15 Irish postulants, following travels in Europe to visit schools.

  • Mary is elected

    Mary is elected as the first superior general of the Sisters of St Joseph.

  • The sisters

    The sisters are obliged to leave Bathurst because of Bishop Matthew Quinn's refusal to accept central government of the institute.

  • The sisters are obliged to leave Queensland

    The sisters are obliged to leave Queensland because of the bishop's refusal to accept central government of the institute.

  • Mary re-elected

    Mary re-elected as superior general.

  • The sisters expand to New Zealand

    The sisters expand to New Zealand with the establishment of their first foundation at Temuka on the South Island; Bishop Reynolds dismisses Mary in Adelaide over accusations she was an alcoholic (Mary drank brandy to relieve very severe menstrual pain), and she moves to Sydney.

  • Mary's election

    Cardinal Moran says Mary's election in 1881 is invalid and appoints Mother Bernard Walsh as leader.

  • Sisters of St Joseph

    A decree from Rome declares the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart is an approved regular congregation, some alterations are made to habits and the sisters' rule.

  • Mary suffers from a serious illness

    Mary suffers the first of many bouts of serious illness, as the order she founded has 300 sisters working in nine dioceses in Australia and New Zealand

  • Mary is elected

    Mary is elected as superior general once again, replacing Bernard Walsh

  • Mary suffers a stroke

    Mary suffers a stroke and travels to Rotorua in New Zealand.

  • Mary dies

    Mary dies on August 8 at Mount Street in North Sydney and is buried at Gore Hill Cemetery.

  • memorial chapel

    Construction of a memorial chapel in North Sydney

  • Mary MacKillop

    Newly elected superior general, Mother Laurence O'Brien, raises the question of whether Mary MacKillop could be a candidate for beatification.

  • Canonisation process begins

    Canonisation process begins; it was postponed in 1931 over claims she was an alcoholic and re-opened in 1951.

  • beatifies Mary MacKillop

    1995: Pope John Paul II beatifies Mary MacKillop at a ceremony in Sydney on January 19.

  • canonised

    Mary MacKillop is canonised on October 17 in Rome.