Cross for Mary MacKillop

Br Peter Dowling

Mary MacKillop Cross Detail

Rome, Italy

Br Peter Dowling, a member of the Congregational Leadership Team, reflects on his experience of the celebrations around the canonization of Mary Mackillop.

I'll put a few things down now as I won't have another chance today.  I did happen to see Yvonne yesterday again, and the three Nudgee boys who were putting out programmes on the seats at the start and then two of them brought the cross up in the offertory procession, I think. They were very impressive in their actions and their ways of operating, and reflected wonderfully on both themselves and Nudgee.

I found yesterday's Mass a more 'personal' celebration, where the grandeur of the Sunday canonisation of six people and the huge crowds became a more focussed time of those who wanted to be there to celebrate Mary MacKillop (although I did see a good group of Polish people too, so it was still quite a cosmopolitan group!)  There was a festive occasion with St Paul's Outside the Walls, one of the four major Basilicas in Rome, filled with seats down the main aisle, and half way down the side aisles.  There were TV screens in the side aisles to help those see better.

There was great ceremony and colour from Australian Indigenous people, New Zealand Maoris, East Timorese and Peruvian people, along with a big Scottish contingent, and quite a few from Ireland too.  But especially lots of Aussies.  I found the best thing was looking out for people I knew were somewhere in the crowd, meeting some of them, but in fact meeting lots of others that I didn't know were present - it was all quite delightful, and people were very open in just going up to others and engaging in conversation.  That was true all over Rome in recent days as you recognised people by the MM pilgrim scarves that they were wearing.

Cardinal Pell gave an excellent homily, which I see is online today.  He captured Mary well in an Australian context and did it most eloquently.  It was great to see the recognition given to the Sisters of St Joseph present who were part of the opening procession and it was a great thrill and occasion for them.  Their teal scarves were prominent everywhere too!

The indigenous people present had a ceremony after the Mass at the burial site, I think, of one of two indigenous students for the priesthood who came to Rome in the later 1800s and both died at a young age.  I meant to join them, but kept running into people and by the time I found them, the ceremony was over.  The burial site is just next to the Basilica.

So, some immediate thougths, Jim.  I did happen to sit at the canonisation Mass with a lot of students from schools from Melbourne.  I just happened to be going in at the same time as them and recognised their school uniforms.

Like all others I saw, they were in high spirits, but very attentive to what was happening and great ambassadors for both country, school and themselves.

Peter Dawling

Cardinal Pell Homily at Thanksgiving Mass for Canonisation of Mary MacKillop