Celebrating St Mary MacKillop
Mary MacKillop, or Saint Mary Helen MacKillop, also Saint Mary of the Cross (1842 - 1909); canonised 17 October 2010. Her feast day is 8 August.
Mary MacKillop was born in 1842 in Fitzroy, Victoria. On 8 August 1909, she died, having suffered a disabling stroke in 1902. Inspired by a meeting with Fr Julian Tenison-Woods, Mary MacKillop took her vows at the age of twenty five, and the religious name, “Mary of the Cross”. In doing so, she founded the congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph. Soon after taking her religious vows, Mary MacKillop founded several schools. Within five years of taking her vows and founding the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Mary had established over thirty schools in South Australia. By that time, more than one hundred women had joined the Sisters of Saint Joseph.
Mary MacKillop was declared a Saint by Pope Benedict XVI on 17 October 2010. In January 2013, St Mary of the Cross (MacKillop) was declared the Second Patron Saint of Australia. Australia now has two Patron Saints: Mary Help of Christians and St Mary of the Cross (MacKillop).
Join in the Pymble parish Mass for the Mary MacKillop feast day at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour West Pymble at 9am on Saturday, 8 August 2026. There will also be Mass and celebrations at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney with the Sisters of St Joseph on Thursday, 8 August.
God is good and has brought light and help when all was very dark.
St Mary MacKillop 1899
Mary MacKillop Place Saturday, 8 August 2026
Join the Sisters of Saint Joseph and Mary MacKillop Place (7-11 Mount Street, North Sydney) as they celebrate the Feast of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
Feast Day Masses:
8:00am and 6:00pm – Chapel
10:00am and 1:00pm – Glen Roy Green (outdoors), AusLan interpreted.
Holy Hour for Young People:
4:30pm-5:45pm - With music and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Mary MacKillop Feast Day Celebrations 2026
Additional Information
Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart
St Mary Mackillop Feastday Reflections (PDF 431.6KB)
Mary MacKillop: Her life and legacy at the Mary MacKillop Museum Adelaide
Australia's first saint: the Mary Mackillop story