THE Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has approved a request from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference that the liturgical observance of its first saint be raised from a “feast” to a “solemnity.”
Each year on 8 August the feast day of Mary MacKillop has traditionally been marked in parishes and a special Mass is often offered, particularly in places where the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, which St Mary co-founded with Fr Julian Tenison Woods in 1866, have a presence.
Pope Benedict XVI canonised her as St Mary of the Cross – her professed Religious name – on 17 October, 2010 in Rome.
A solemnity is a feast day that is celebrated with greater fanfare due to its significance for the whole Church or a specific place.
The Mass for the new St Mary MacKillop solemnity will include a second reading as well as the Gloria and the recitation of the Nicene Creed.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President, Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson, said this honour is a recognition that the story of and devotion to St Mary has a prominent place in the Catholic community in Australia. “As Australia’s first saint it is fitting that the liturgy of the Church in Australia on her feast day should reflect that by having the highest liturgical rank”, he said.
“Many of the Bishops of Australia and 8,000 of the faithful went to Rome last year, and many more celebrated, in locations around Australia, the Canonisation of our first Saint”
“For all Australians, whether Catholic or not, Mary MacKillop is seen as a woman of heroic virtue, and this goes a little further toward honouring her great example.”
It is expected that on 8 August this year, parishes around Australia will celebrate with special Masses to mark the occasion.