Born in Australia in 1842, her mother and father had both come from Scotland. Before meeting her mother, her father had almost become a priest. 

Mary Helen was the oldest of eight children. The family had a farm but struggled to make ends meet. 

To help, Mary took a job as a store clerk in Melbourne when she was fourteen and then, later, became a governess for her aunt and uncle who lived in South Australia. 

After a few years in South Australia, Mary opened her own boarding school which is now Bayview College. 

Her Spiritual Director was a local priest named Fr. Julian Woods. He asked Mary and her two sisters, Annie and Lexie, who had come to work with Mary Helen, to start a Catholic school. 

They did and, in the process, Mary and her sisters made the decision to give their lives to The Lord. 

On the Feast of The Presentation of Mary in 1866, she adopted the name Mary of The Cross and founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of The Sacred Heart. 

One year later there were eleven new sisters and, in their brown habits, they became known as the “Josephites” and were dedicated to teaching poor and neglected children. 

The Josephites expanded rapidly and by 1871 there were 130 nuns running 40 schools, helping children of all faiths. 

She died in 1909 and in 2010 became Australia’s first Saint. 

St. Mary Helen MacKillop, please pray for us.