MARY MACKILLOP PLACE

Mary MacKillop Place is in North Sydney. It is a Pilgrimage site of Bl. Mary Mackillop (b. 1842- d. 1909)

Mary Mackillop was born on 15th of January 1842, the eldest of eight children to Alexander Mackillop and Flora Macdonald. Both were of Scottish origin and migrated to Victoria, Australia in 1835.

In 1866, she founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph which quickly spread to large cities around Australia, New Zealand and recently to Peru, Brazil, refugee camps in Uganda and Thailand.

Suffering from ill health, she died on August the 8th 1909 in a North Sydney convent where her tomb is now enshrined.

The Congregation now boasts of 1200 members, helping schools, hospitals, the homeless and Aboriginal communities in the outback.

She was beatified on the 19th of January 1995 by Pope John Paul II.

Mary MacKillop Place and WYD08

As you know Mary MacKillop is the first Australian Saint. Mary MacKillop Place and her tomb in the Memorial Chapel are places of pilgrimage to Bl Mary MacKillop. Pope Benedict XVI will be visiting this shrine during World Youth Day on Thursday the 17th of July at 9.45am until 10.00am.

During WYD08, there will be a dedicated list of events and prayer times at Mary MacKillop’s Place, which can be found here: http://www.wyd-marymackillop.com

Overview of the Ticketed Events at Mary MacKillop’s Place during WYD08
- Every day from Saturday 12 July to Tuesday 22 July excluding Saturday 19 July and Sunday 20 July, Pilgrim Mass will take place between 6.30am to 7.30am, 11am to 12pm as well as 5pm to 6pm.

- Daybreak with Mary MacKillop will occur between 7.30am to 10.00am daily excluding Saturday the 19th and Sunday 20th. This is Mass, followed by prayer time at the tomb of Bl Mary MacKillop, followed by an opportunity to view a special exhibition, and a light breakfast.

A special exhibition called “In the footsteps of Blessed Mary MacKillop: Australia’s Saint” will be open on 10.00am till 8.00pm but is not available from Saturday 19 July to Sunday 20 July.

An evening prayer vigil is available on 9.00pm till 10.30pm on the following days; Monday 14 July, Wednesday 16 July and Friday 28 July.

Oorala workshop that highlights a shared experience with indigenous Australians is available at 2.30pm to 4.00pm on Wednesday 16 July.

These are ticketed events, so registration for all events is essential.
But the money for the tickets goes towards providing the infrastructure needed for hosting World Youth Day 08 Pilgrims.
Tickets can be booked through Ticketek. Visit:  WWW.TICKETEK.COM.AU