This Sunday, October 17, is the canonisation of Mary MacKillop. The Roman Catholic bishops in New Zealand, as I understand it, are allowing parishes to use the propers for her feast (readings and prayers set) instead of the Sunday readings set. I am intrigued that the propers for a memorial (I presume that is the status of her feast day?) can take precedence over a Sunday (does she have one reading, a psalm, and gospel, rather than the Old Testament, psalm, New Testament, gospel of a Sunday? Is her proper online – I cannot spot it?) I didn’t know that local Roman Catholic bishops had the authority to override the lectionary. I wonder if the Sunday readings or Mary MacKillop’s readings are being used at the canonising Mass in the Vatican – I suspect it will be the Sunday readings. Anyone know otherwise?
The Vatican has beaten our New Zealand Anglican process to add Mary MacKillop formally to the calendar. The Anglican process was set underway when I moved a motion at our diocesan synod in 2006. This year General Synod passed, for the second time, Mary MacKillop being added to the calendar, after agreement from all diocesan synods and hui amorangi. This process produces a “formulary” – and this only comes into effect a year after this second General Synod motion, so in 2011.
Mary MacKillop has strong associations with New Zealand. She visited here on several occasions. The first school run by her sisters in New Zealand was opened in Temuka in 1883. Other schools and institutions followed and the work continues into the present. While in Rotorua on a visit to New Zealand in 1901 Mother Mary was partially paralysed by a stroke. Does anyone know if there is any move to add her to the Australian Anglican Church’s calendar?
More on Mary MacKillop
The Wikipedia entry on Mary MacKillop
