Mary Mckillop Research Paper

Mary MacKillop was born into a strong knit Scottish family and was the eldest of eight children. Mary was a well educated child who was taught by her father who spent some time studying for priesthood in Rome, but due to ill health he had return to his homeland Scotland until migrating to Australia.
Mary always had a connection with God and felt a strong need to help the poor. From the age of sixteen, Mary earned a living and supported her family, playing the governess, clerk for a shop and as a teacher at a Portland school. Whiles acting as the governess for her uncles children at Penola, she met Father Julian Tenison Woods, who needed help in the religious education of children in the outback. But at the time Mary's family deepened on her income so she couldn't

Throughout her life, Mary had to deal with the opposing views from those not within the Church and those within the Church community. On the 22nd of September 1871, Mary was excommunicated from the Church along with 47 sisters from The Sisters of St Joseph. Mary and the Sisters were forced to find accommodation and employment wherever they could. During this period Mary dressed incognito and was order not to communicate with any of the sisters, or anyone who was associated with her excommunication. Priests were threatened with suspension if they supported any of the sisters who were excommunicated, although few Priests did remain loyal friends with these sisters. Bishop Sheil was the reason Mary and the 47 sisters we excommunicated, for alleged insubordination. Most of their schools were closed and the Sisterhood of Saint Joseph was almost disbanded. The excommunication of the sisters and Mary was removed on the 21st of February 1872 the the order of the same Bishop just nine days before he died. Her will to forgive others was challenges, but she overcame it by her strong belief in