Walking in Mary's footsteps

The spiritual blessings were tangible this morning and a really privileged time for us. We were the first group to do “The Footsteps of Mary MacKillop”. We were the guinea pigs!

Channel Nine captured the Mass.

We started the day with Mass. Archbishop Mark said in his homily that Mary of the Cross had suffered greatly from the distress of isolation when she came to Rome. She was very attentive to the needs of her sisters, who also would have experienced the isolation of the bush, going where other had not gone to look after the little ones. We follow Mary through the Cross into the joy of the Easter Resurrection.

We walked the footsteps of Mary MacKillop from Termini Station to the Anglo Americano Hotel where she spent her first night in Rome.

Catechesis by Sr Anne in St Stanislus Kostka's room.

We then went on to Sant’ Andrea al Quirinale and the tomb of St Stanislaus Kostka, a 17 year old Polish saint whose life greatly impressed Mary and John-Paul II. Mary was very close to the Jesuits whose house this was. The Jesuits helped her in both Rome and Australia.

We then walked to the Church of Sant’ Agata dei Goti where she often prayed and also visited Monsignor Kirby. Then we went to the Convent of San Tommaso where she lived for her time in Rome. Along each of these places Sr Rita gave us a reading from Mary MacKillop’s letters and journal, presented a reflection, and gave us a sacred space of 10 minutes silence.

It was a very moving experience for us all. We were all really blessed by the journey set out by the Sisters for all the pilgrims who come to Rome for Mary’s Canonisation.