House Coordinator - Ms Anne Bennett

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Phone Contact: 9591 4245

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MacKillop Banner

Mary MacKillop is Australia's first saint and as such is represented on our banner by a map of Australia. The monogram represents the Sisters of St Joseph, the Australian Religious Order of Women, which was founded by Mary MacKillop.

The three hearts remind us of the great vision, courage, determination and compassion Mary MacKillop had for those in need, especially in isolated areas. “In service of others” is the motto that as a House we try to apply to our everyday lives

Blessed Mary MacKillop

Mary MacKillop was born in Melbourne in 1842. By the time she was fifteen Mary had decided she was going to be a nun. She wanted to devote her life to the poor. In 1861, she went to work in Penola, a small town in South Australia. Here Mary met a Catholic priest, Father Julian Woods.

They became close friends. Together they opened Australia's first free Catholic school. At that time only the rich could afford schooling. Pupils were accepted whether their parents could afford to pay or not. Mary was a great teacher, and soon became very popular in the community. She still felt a religious calling, but Mary couldn't find an order that suited her. So she and Father Woods started their own, 'The Sisters of St. Joseph'. She took a vow of poverty.

In 1867, Mary moved to Adelaide and opened another school. Before long there were 17 schools under her care. Mary's followers grew, and by the time she died, in 1909, there were St. Joseph's Schools all over Australia. The Pope visited Australia in 1995 for the formal Beatification of Mary - the first step towards her Canonisation.