Australia’s first saint was excommunicated

Like the Maltese nation, the five million Catholic Australians can call Mary MacKillop as their first saint. It took some 85 years until Pope Benedict XVI said “May it be so” in front of an audience of about 50,000 at the Vatican. With 100 words in Latin at St Peter’s Square, Mary of the Cross was canonised together with five other new saints. About 7,000 Australians travelled to Rome for this historic occasion, among them many Australian/Maltese led by Sophie Delezio, nine, accompanied by her Maltese father and her mother Carolyn Martin.

Sophie Joy Delezio was born on April 3, 2001. She gained media attention when she was involved in an accident at the Roundhouse Childcare Centre in Fairlight, Sydney, Australia, where she suffered third-degree burns to 85 per cent of her body and was hospitalised for several weeks. She lost both her legs. Her family has since become major fundraisers and activists for victims who suffered conditions as Sophie’s. She became known by the media and the public in Sydney as “Little Sophie”.

Ron Delezio was a Liberal Party candidate for the electorate of Banks in the last Federal Election. He was not elected. The family is very devoted to St Mary Mackillop and credit the survival of Sophie to the intervention of Australia’s first saint.

Nathalie Zarb, a teacher from St Michael’s primary school in ACT, was also chosen to travel to Rome for the canonisation. This Maltese person was one of the two teachers sponsored by the Catholic Education Office and the Sister of St Joseph from the Archdiocese to join the Youth Pilgrimage to Rome.

It was indeed Mary’s day, not just at the Vatican but also all over Australia. At North Sydney, where she is buried, they came from all over to pray at her tomb. By the end of the day, 15,000 people paid tribute in their own way to Sister Mary, among them where 15 of her relatives.

Mary Mackillop was born in Melbourne in 1842 and died in Sydney in 1909. Like Dun Ġorġ Preca, she also had difficulties with the Church hierarchy and was excommunicated in 1871 for rebellion against the Church but was later exonerated.

Paul Abela was close to death twice before a bone marrow donor was found after prayers to Mary Mackillop. The 12-year-old boy from Green Valley (western Sydney) nearly died at just 11 weeks old, when doctors told his mother, Jo Abela, there was no hope. Paul recovered from the blood disorder but developed leukaemia two years ago and the family turned again to Australia’s first saint.

At St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, the mood was more festive. Hundreds attended Mass before watching the canonisation ceremony on the big screen. In Melbourne, where Mary was born and in the small town in South Australia were this quintessentially Australian woman of faith, wisdom and vision opened her first school in a drought-ravaged Penola in 1866, thousands celebrated.

The canonisation of a fair dinkum Australian saint was a unique occasion and a powerful reminder of faith’s strength. It was a celebration that brought Australians together from across religious and social divides. During the global recession, they called Australia the country of miracles, so it is only right we now have our own first saint.