Congratulations Australia

“Australia was blessed with its first saint Sunday when Pope Benedict canonized a 19th-century nun who was once excommunicated for exposing a pedophile priest.

Sister Mary MacKillop

The pontiff praised Mary MacKillop for her "courageous and saintly example of zeal, perseverance and prayer."

"She dedicated herself as a young woman to the education of the poor in the difficult and demanding terrain of rural Australia, inspiring other women to join her in the first women's community of religious sisters of that country," he said.

MacKillop's elevation was met with wild cheers of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi!" by admirers gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican for the ceremony.” ¹

As a human being, I felt a solemn sense of exaltation. Here was someone being revered for her spirit of selflessness, a precious commodity in this world.

Also, Mary was a nun. My book², is dedicated to nuns of the Order of the Precious Blood. They too left their homeland, in 1946, to provide succor and sustenance to the unwanted, the homeless, to those in need of love.

Sister Mare Nugent

In addition honour and credence is given to Sister Mary Nugent, a Sister of the Order of Notre Dame, who taught us in 1958 - 1962.  Included in my book is  -

“It is a gross understatement to say that Sister Mary SND was ahead of her time. She was light years ahead. It is astounding that an Irish nun in the middle of the African bush was so enlightened. Sex education, social learning and life skills only hit the rest of the world nearly two decades later”.

Even if one does not have an ounce of religion to one’s makeup, we must still acknowledge and revere these nuns for their spirit of self-sacrifice and selflessness. Because of them, others were given hope, more reason and chance to realize their potential as members of human kind.

Congratulations Australia.

Because of your Mary Mackillop, we feel so much more bonded as human beings.

¹  http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/10/17/2010-10-17_mary_mackillop_19th_century_nun_who_exposed_pedophile_priest_made_saint_by_pope_.html

²  “The other – without fear, favour or prejudice -” available online from Lulu.com and Amazon.com