Mary MacKillop Spirituality Ministry

07/06/2026

Today on World Oceans Day, we acknowledge the beauty, fragility and sacred importance of our oceans.

The oceans sustain all life on Earth. They are our lungs, our heartbeat, our responsibility. Yet they face unprecedented threats from pollution, warming waters and overharvesting. We are called to be stewards of creation.

Mary MacKillop lived this call. She worked tirelessly for the poor and vulnerable, recognising the dignity of all people and all of creation. In her time, she witnessed the impact of human actions on communities and the land they depended on. Today, that same spirit calls us to protect our oceans.

Pope Leo XIV reminds us in Laudato Si that we are not separate from nature - we are part of it. Our oceans are not resources to exploit, but gifts to honour and protect.

This World Oceans Day, we invite you to:
🌊 Reflect on your relationship with the ocean
🌊 Make choices that protect marine life
🌊 Support communities dependent on healthy oceans
🌊 Pray for the healing of our waters

The ocean connects us all. Let us commit to being guardians of this sacred trust.

06/06/2026

Today we celebrate Corpus Christi, the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.

Corpus Christi invites us to pause and reflect on the profound mystery of the Eucharist. In the breaking of bread and sharing of wine, we encounter Christ's love made present to us. It is a celebration of Christ's sacrifice, His nourishment of our souls, and His invitation to deeper communion with Him and with one another.

This feast calls us to recognise the sacred in the everyday, to honour the gift of Christ's body given for us, and to live out that love in our communities.

Whether you join us in procession, gather at Mass, or simply take time for quiet prayer today, we invite you to encounter the Sacred and give thanks for this profound gift.

May the peace of Christ be with you.

04/06/2026

Today we celebrate World Environment Day and recommit to caring for our shared home.

Pope Leo XIV reminds us through Laudato Si that we are called to be stewards of creation. Our planet is a gift, and every creature, every ecosystem, every person deserves our respect and protection.

At MMSM, we are deeply connected to the land on which our seven Centres stand. From the Central Coast to Melbourne, Adelaide to Tasmania, we witness the beauty and fragility of nature. We recognise our responsibility to protect these sacred spaces for generations to come.

This World Environment Day, we invite you to:
🌏 Join us in prayer for our planet
🌏 Reflect on how you can live more sustainably
🌏 Support Indigenous land stewardship and protection
🌏 Encounter the Sacred in creation

Together, we can honour God's creation and build a more just and sustainable future.

03/06/2026

Today we acknowledge Mabo Day and the significance of the Mabo decision.

On 3 June 1992, the High Court of Australia recognised that Indigenous Australians have native title to land. This landmark decision affirmed the rights of Indigenous peoples to their Country and the deep connection between Indigenous communities and the land they have cared for since time immemorial.

Mabo Day reminds us of the ongoing journey towards justice, recognition and reconciliation.

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which our seven Centres stand across Australia. We commit to honouring Indigenous sovereignty, culture and the sacred relationship between people and Country.

01/06/2026

Mary MacKillop meets Pope Pius IX

On 1 June 1873, Mary MacKillop had her first audience with Pope Pius IX.

As Sr Maria Casey says, "Mary decided to go to Rome to seek papal recognition for the Institute (Congregation) because she wanted her Sisters to be available to work amongst the poor in Australia."

“Pentecost Sunday, 1 June, was according to Mary’s diary ‘a day never to be forgotten, a day worth years of suffering’. She had her first audience with the Pope, with [Cardinal Alessandro] Barnabò and [Monsignor] Kirby there to introduce her. ...”

Mary had written to her mother Flora about the meeting and wrote:
"On Sunday I had the happiness of seeing the Holy Father and of obtaining a warm blessing from him for myself and my dear Sisters. What he said and how he said it when he knew I was the excommunicated one, are things too sacred to be spoken of – but he let me see that the Pope has a Father’s heart, and when he laid his loved hands on my head, I felt more than I will attempt to say."

We invite you to read more here: www.sosj.org.au/mary-mackillop-meets-pope-pius-ix



🖼️ Mary MacKillop meeting the Pope – part of toile by Pamela Griffith © Trustees of the Sisters of Saint Joseph.

01/06/2026

MacKa Moment – National Reconciliation Week and Magnificat Humanitas

In her latest MacKa Moment video, as we continue to commemorate National Reconciliation Week (27 May - 3 June), Sr Rita Malavisi is outside standing in front of a War Memorial of two Aboriginal people from Tasmania who passed away by being hung – they were the first two people to be hung in public in Melbourne (Victoria) in 1842. Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheener were resistance fighters and protectors of Aboriginal people, and yet their resistance cost them their lives.

Sr Rita also shares that also what happened in 1842, was that Mary MacKillop was born probably about a kilometre up the road (from the memorial). So we remember to walk in reconciliation with our Indigenous people.

Additionally, Sr Rita also speaks about having read Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical ‘Magnificat Humanitas’ which is “really focusing on the human dignity and the humanity of each one of us.” She talks about AI (Artificial Intelligence) and shares, “How would Mary MacKillop have taken the technologies of today? So Mary MacKillop would have challenged us to really consider our relationships with one another. So let’s do that this week.”

The video can be viewed via YouTube here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LhugVdJbZ4

You can view past MacKa Moments videos via YouTube here: www.youtube.com//videos

31/05/2026

MacKa Moment – May, Month of Mary

In her latest MacKa Moment video, Sr Rita Malavisi is again in the Chapel within the Mary MacKillop Spirituality Centre, Melbourne, Victoria. Sr Rita reflects on the Feast of Pentecost, celebrating the spirit coming to bring us peace, the reasons why Mary is celebrated in the month of May and the commencement of National Reconciliation Week (27 May - 3 June) with the theme 'All In'.

Sr Rita also shares how Pope Leo XIV will pronounce his first encyclical, 'Magnifica Humanitas' (the magnificence of humans), later today Vatican City time.

"It talks about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the ways we can use AI only for the dignity of the human person," says Sr Rita.

The video can be viewed via YouTube here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKIYR4IBz2E

You can view past MacKa Moments videos via YouTube here: www.youtube.com//videos

Mary MacKillop Spirituality Ministry

31/05/2026

27/05/2026

This week, 27 May to 3 June, Australia observes National Reconciliation Week 2026, a time to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to recommit to reconciliation and justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This year's theme is "All In", and it is a powerful reminder that reconciliation is not a passive activity. It is not the sole responsibility of First Nations people, who have carried the weight of this work for far too long.

Reconciliation requires all of us, in our workplaces, our communities, our homes and our hearts.

At Mary MacKillop Spirituality Ministry, we are inspired by Mary MacKillop's deep commitment to the dignity of every person. We acknowledge with respect and wonder the Traditional Custodians of the sacred lands on which our Centres stand, and we honour their Elders past, present and emerging.

This Reconciliation Week, we invite our community to reflect, to learn and to ask: how can I be all in?

25/05/2026

Today, 26 May, we observe National Sorry Day, also known as the National Day of Healing, a day to remember and acknowledge the profound pain caused to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through the forced removal of children from their families and communities.

The Stolen Generations and their descendants carry wounds that continue to be felt today. National Sorry Day is an invitation for all Australians to listen, to reflect, and to commit to the ongoing journey of reconciliation and healing.

Mary MacKillop devoted her life to the dignity of every person, particularly the most vulnerable. Her spirit calls us to stand in solidarity with First Nations peoples, to honour their strength and resilience, and to work together toward a more just and compassionate Australia.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which our Centres stand, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.