St Mary of the Cross (MacKillop)
“Never see a need without doing something about it”.
This mission, of service to those in need, drove St Mary of the Cross (MacKillop) to a lifetime of working with society’s least fortunate.
Dedicating herself to a life of service makes St Mary MacKillop a natural fit as ACU’s patron saint but there are many other connections, she shares with the University.
Born on 15 January 1842 in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, directly opposite the University's Melbourne Campus (St Patrick's), St Mary MacKillop’s work and values resonate deeply with the University's Mission.
Co-founder of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, St Mary MacKillop is the only Australian to be canonized, making her Australia's first saint. She lived her later years on the site of the North Sydney (MacKillop) Campus. Her feast day is celebrated on the 8th of August.
Her order opened schools and orphanages around the country, along with facilities for the homeless and for former prisoners and prostitutes looking to make a fresh start. Her respect for the dignity of all people, her service of the disadvantaged, and her efforts to build the capacity of those communities she served are qualities which ACU seeks to instil in its staff, students and graduates, making her a worthy patron of the University.
Read St Mary MacKillop’s story