A life-size cardboard cut-out of the saintly heroine stood in the courtyard invitingly.
The likeness of Mother Mary MacKillop, made by the Catholic Youth Ministry crew, drew so much attention that it attracted a queue.
Small children and parents, friars and seminarians, Religious Sisters and young adults had their ‘moment with Mary’ and put their hand on the Josephite foundress’ shoulder.
The sun glinted off people’s sunglasses but the joy of the occasion lit up their faces as they greeted each other between buying a sausage sizzle, paying Jesus a visit in the chapel or buzzing about the future St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
Praise and worship wafted around the grounds, as Starry Eyed Vagabonds and Flame Ministry rocked the main stage and the folks ambled around and enjoyed the festivity.
Some small children had pencil and paper ready to write down what they learnt about the life of Mother Mary MacKillop.
By following a five-banner timeline trail set up in Mouat St and Bateman courtyard, they could identify the defining moments, influences and challenges in her life and, as they learnt, get a stamp in their ‘passport’ at each stop.
The even littler ones sat in the shade and coloured in pictures of the saint.
In the mid-afternoon, a crowd of faithful lined Mouat St to provide a festive welcome to 20 Sisters of St Joseph and 120 associates led by two Scottish bagpipers who had been ferried down the Swan River on a celebratory canonisation cruise.
Carmel Charlton played a tribute to Mary MacKillop, Calling my Name, with James Webb on didgeridoo after which the University of Notre Dame Vice Chancellor Celia Hammond opened the festival.
Bishop Don Sproxton blessed the gathered crowd and Josephite Sr Leonie Mayne said that although Mary would never have dreamed of having a festival in her honour, she would have been “delighted” by the festival in Fremantle. Then hundreds filed into several halls on campus to watch the live broadcast of the canonisation direct from Rome.
Spontaneous applause erupted in the Drill Hall from the 800 spectators when they saw the unfurled image of Mother Mary of the Cross hanging from the eaves of St Peter’s Basilica, just moments before her canonisation.
It happened again when they heard her name said during the proceedings.
An even louder cheer broke out when they saw Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey on screen standing next to Sydney Cardinal George Pell at the Mass.
Not everyone stayed to watch all of it, but as Mass continued on screen in Rome, the sun started setting in the west back home.
The Youth Impact band cranked up the volume for a final set of praise and worship music to close out the festival.
Over 4,000 people went to Fremantle on 17 October to celebrate Australia’s first saint at the Mary MacKillop Festival in Mouat Street at the University of Notre Dame.