Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On indulgence: for those of us who follow the Catholic faith, I must say I am proud and awed by the canonisation of Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint. Over the past few weeks, like others, I have read a lot about Mary MacKillop and her commitment to education, particularly of the poor. I have read about the two miracles she performed, curing two grandmothers—Kathleen Evans and Veronica Hopson—of their terminal cancer. I have read about the long campaign to have Mary MacKillop declared a saint and watched the celebrations in the Vatican on Sunday when Mary MacKillop was canonised as St Mary of the Cross. What people may not have read about however are the individual stories of the communities right across Australia that have been impacted by this event. Their faith and their sense of Christian identity have been impacted.

On Sunday, I had the privilege of attending the inaugural blessing of the stations of the cross at the Marian pilgrimage centre in Bringelly. More than 6,000 people gathered together for the unveiling of 14 exquisite life-size sculptures of the stations of the cross. These sculptures were beautifully created by the sculptor, Phan Chi Lang. They will be a location for pilgrimage for many Christians not only in Western Sydney but also within our greater community. The followers who gathered there on Sunday celebrated mass with Bishop Julian Porteous in honour of Mary MacKillop and her impending canonisation. There was a sense of excitement about Australia’s first saint. However what stood out for me at the time was the sense of pride in the congregation. This was an opportunity for followers of the Catholic faith in Australia to stand proud as one of their own joined the prestigious ranks of the holy group and was entered in the Book of Saints.

It was also time for reflection on what Mary MacKillop stood for and why she should be revered as an example of not only Catholic life but also Australian life. At her core, Mary MacKillop was a generous and compassionate woman. She showed absolute dedication to her beliefs as well as assisting those less fortunate in the community. Mary MacKillop had an extraordinary capacity to forgive. I doubt whether she would have survived in this place. I am not sure whether we have the capacity she showed. During her life she was accused of many things from fraudulent dealings to drunkenness, things that ordinarily in a modern society people might go rushing off to a solicitor in the hope of bringing defamation proceedings. But this woman copped that sort of treatment over 130 years ago. In fact, the Bishop of Adelaide moved for her excommunication from the Catholic Church. For a Catholic that would have to be the most grievous punishment that could be inflicted. Not only did she cop it; she fought it and she won. She stood up for what she believed in regardless of who was telling her what she should believe and how she should act. She forgave those people, including the bishop, as I understand it, and she encouraged others to forgive as well. In 1909, shortly before her death, Mary MacKillop wrote:

Whenever troubles may be before you, accept them cheerfully, remembering whom you are trying to follow.

I cannot think of a better role model. I would be seen to be lacking that kind of spirit. She was able to bear a large amount of suffering and humiliation, and press on with what she set out to do which was to educate the young and the underprivileged. I think it is marvellous that this young woman did that at that time. Of course, Mary MacKillop’s most well-known achievement was the establishment of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart and the schools that her order started. Also what is less well known is what she did with respect to disadvantaged people in the community. She started the school at Penola in South Australia.

The Josephites offered crucial education to those who would otherwise not have had a chance to attend school. I did not have to read much about that because Bernadette’s Aunty Gladys—some knew her as Sister Paul-Maria—was a Josephite. I have learnt from my in-laws about the practice of the Josephites and that Mary MacKillop is still very much revered by the sisters today. I learnt that this young woman, at the age of 25, started this order. I would not even hazard a guess as to the number of schools that they started—I am sure someone will put that number on the record when talking about Mary MacKillop. It is almost miraculous in itself that a young person of 25 who was in poor health and did not have the support of the local clergy went ahead and made such a successful contribution to Catholic education in this country. Through her insistence, they tutored pupils not only in the Catholic faith but also in life skills, literacy and adding up—like the adding up of grocery bills. The sisters hoped these skills would help students in all stations of their lives. This is a fitting philosophy that should always be remembered when it comes to the education of our youth.

During the celebrations at the Marian pilgrimage centre, which I mentioned earlier, tribute was also paid to another Mary: Our Lady of La Vang. Most people throughout the world, whether or not they are Christians, would know that Mary was the mother of Jesus Christ. But to the Vietnamese community in the south-west of Sydney, and probably throughout the world, Mary holds a very special significance. They refer to her as Our Lady of La Vang. Following the fall of Saigon, 35 years ago, a wave of refugees fled their homeland in Vietnam. Many of them escaped by boat. We now refer to them as our first boat people. They prayed to Our Lady of La Vang as they fled on boats. They asked her to keep them safe during their perilous journey. Thankfully, many of the refugees who fled to Australia were kept safe and are now flourishing in their new home where, I must say, they are making a remarkable contribution. The Vietnamese community revere Mary as the patron saint of refugees escaping by sea, so she could probably be regarded the patron saint of boat people.

It was an honour to pay tribute to our Lady of La Vang on Sunday with members of the local Vietnamese Catholic community. It was very fitting that we celebrated their St Mary on the day that Mary MacKillop was canonised. I take this opportunity to thank the Australian-Vietnamese Catholic community and their chair, Mr Hoan Van Giang, for their kind invitation to celebrate with them on Sunday. It was certainly an honour to be part of such a reverent commemoration. It certainly lays a foundation not only for the Catholic community of Western Sydney but for the broader community that, when we look to people to set the yardstick for behaviour, we now have one of our own, our first saint, Mary MacKillop.

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