SYD: Australia's likely first saint Mary MacKillop celebrated

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2009
SYD: Australia's likely first saint Mary MacKillop celebrated

Celebrations of the life of MARY MacKILLOP have begun across Australia .. amid overwhelming
support for her to become the country's first saint.

300 people crammed into the MARY MacKILLOP Memorial Chapel in North Sydney earlier
this morning for a morning mass .. celebrating the centenary of her death.

The Catholic nunn died on August 8 .. 1909 after a life dedicated to the Church and
those suffering hardship.

A second mass .. at 11 o'clock to be shown on big screens at nearby North Sydney Oval
is expected to attract a crowd of more than 8000 people.

There was speculation the sainthood could be announced to coincide with the centenary
celebrations .. however the MARY MacKILLOP memorial chapel has indicated that now appears
unlikely.

AAP RTV mmr/sw

KEYWORD: MACKILLOP NSW (SYDNEY)

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