What role did Mary Mackillop play in the Church?

Answer 1

Mary Mackillop is important to the Catholic Church because she is about to become Australia's first saint (If the date has already passed 17/10/10 then she is already a saint). She wanted to devote her life to the poor and to God.

Answer 2

A:Mary MacKillop was an Australian Roman Catholic nun who, in 1867, became the first mother superior of the the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, which she founded together with Father Julian Tenison Woods. She set up a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australasia with an emphasis on education for the poor, particularly in country areas.

MacKillop was excommunicated when a nun in her charge reported to the archbishop that that Father Keating had been sexually abusing children. This penalty was not based on MacKillop having reported the priest, or even having encouraged the nun to report him, but because the report demonstrated lax supervision when she should have prevented any discussion of paedophilia. As a result of this report, Father Keating had to be moved to a parish in Ireland. On his deathbed, Archbishop Sheil lifted the excommunication on Mary MacKillop, saying she had done nothing wrong.