Mary MacKillop 10

Monday 4th April 2022 

Mass:  St Patrick's Church, Adelaide

St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Adelaide (Photo: Wikimedia)

We drove from Lyndoch Hill in the Barossa Valley to Adelaide, and visited St Francis Xavier Cathedral.  The Cathedral was begun in 1858, but not completed until 1996.

Statue of Mary MacKillop in the Cathedral.

This sculpture, created in 2020 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Mary's canonisation, is the work of local South Australian artist Judith Rolevink.

 

Iron cross, from the original Cathedral Hall.

Answering a call of nature after the long bus trip from the Barossa Valley, Peter and I ventured into the Catholic Diocesan Centre next door to the Cathedral, and made this interesting discovery.  This iron cross stood on the table of the original Cathedral Hall built in 1865 and destroyed by fire in 1970.  Mary MacKillop opened her first school in Adelaide in this hall, and taught here herself, wearing the Josephite habit for the first time.

This hall was also the first residence of the Christian Brothers when they arrived in South Australia.

Enlargement of the plaque beside the iron cross.

Enlargement of the photo of Mary MacKillop beside the iron cross.  This photo was taken while Mary lived in Adelaide.

Sculpture of Mary MacKillo.

The blessing and dedication of the statue, by Judith Roevink, who also created the statue of Mary inside the Cathedral, was the first of a number of events to celebrate the centenary of Mary's 1909 death.  The 2.7 metre bronze sculpture shows Mary holding hands with two children, Maggie and a young Aboriginal boy, Jimmy.

Bishop Greg O'Kelly, who we saw later, said he liked this statue of Mary as it showed her as being young, pretty, active and happy, as opposed to some of the more solemn and formal pictures we have.

St Patrick's Church, Adelaide.

The original building on this site was the first Catholic church in Adelaide, and Mary MacKillop worshiped here from 1867-71.  Mary's spiritual mentor, Fr Julian Tenison Woods, was ordained here in 1858, before St Francis Xavier Cathedral was built, and was probably the only priest to be ordained in this church.

 Mass in St Patrick's church.

Here is Pauline introducing the Mass, which was concelebrated by Michael and retired Bishop Greg O'Kelly.

Retired Bishop Greg O'Kelly.

Franklin Street Convent, Schoolroom and Chapel.

Behind St Patrick's Church is the Franklin Street Convent, Schoolroom and Chapel, where Mary had a school.  In this picture you can also see Bishop Greg, Michael, Colleen and some of our pilgrims.

Bishop Greg in the Franklin Street Chapel.

Bishop Greg explains to our group of pilgrims that this is the very place where, completely against canon law, Mary was excommunicated by Bishop Sheil in September 1871.  The local clergy were divided over Mary's radical new Order of Josephites, and some pressured the Bishop to alter the Order's Rule of Life and to excommunicate Mary from the Church for alleged insubordination. 

Although her sisters were devastated, Mary wrote that in this moment she felt closer to God than ever.  "When I could not see my way, God kept my heart full of trust to make all come right."

After five months, Bishop Sheil rescinded her sentence and reinstated the Order.

Stable door in the Mary MacKillop Museum, Kensington, Adelaide.

We travelled to the Mary MacKillop Precinct in Kensington, where Mary lived  for 11 years from 1872 - 83.  The precinct consists of a chapel, where Mary prayed often, a hospitality centre and an interactive museum.  The recently refurbished museum includes sound pens, display boards, historic photos and letters, relics, art works, artifacts and memorabilia from the Josephite story.  

Above is the door from the stable where Mary taught.  I'm presuming this is the stable where Mary established her first school in Penola.  The door is enclosed in glass (or maybe perspex) so you can see my reflection, with Peter, taking the photo.

Enlargement of the sign on the stable door, which would have been typed 50 years ago.

Michael and Colleen at the Mary MacKillop sculpture beside St Francis Xavier Cathedral.

What an amazing pilgrimage this has been!  Thank you Michael for your spiritual direction every day, engaging us, jolting us out of our comfort zones, opening up new possibilities.  Thank you Colleen for your cheerful, efficient and loving care of us every step of the way, anticipating our needs and so calmly dealing with any unexpected changes of plans.

That night we enjoyed a farewell dinner celebration at a waterfront Italian restaurant, sharing reflections of a wonderful ten days with our new friends.