Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop

Mary Helen MacKillop, born on 15 January 1842 and known as Mary of the Cross in religion, was an Australian religious sister who founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (the Josephites) with Fr Julian Tenison-Woods. Together, they established schools and welfare institutions throughout Australia and New Zealand, focusing particularly on education for rural poor. The process to declare MacKillop a saint began in the 1920s. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in January 1995 and canonized on 17 October 2010 during a public ceremony at St Peter's Square, Vatican City. MacKillop is the first Australian Catholic saint and is venerated as the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Brisbane and Australia.