Speech: Julia Gillard, Mary Mackillop Fundraising Dinner, Sydney
Julia Gillard
posted Thursday, 5 August 2010
Thank you Geraldine, Sister Anne Derwin, Sister Mary Casey, His Eminence George Cardinal Pell, His Grace Archbishop Denis Hart, Most Reverend Bishop Anthony Fisher, Most Reverend Bishop Julian Porteous, Most Reverend Bishop Terrence Brady, His Excellency Tim Fischer, Elsie Heiss, Ministerial and parliamentary colleagues: Tony Burke, Joe Hockey, Ursula Stephens, and Tony Kelly.
And good evening to everyone gathered tonight for this historic occasion, in advance of the canonisation of Mary MacKillop in October.
Tonight we are celebrating the culmination of years of tireless efforts by the Sisters of St Joseph years of hard work, devoted prayer and maybe just a little bit of old fashioned lobbying as well.
Friends, this is an historic event for all Australians: The canonisation of Australia’s first saint.
It is a deeply significant time for the five million Australians of Catholic faith. It is also a deeply significant time for those of us who may not share the Catholic faith, but still deeply respect the great contribution of the church and of Australian Catholics to the social fabric of our nation.
For all Australians, who share a country in which we put freedom of religion into action every day by respecting each others beliefs, it is a time of celebration.
Whether you are drawn to Mary MacKillop as a saint, or as an exceptional figure in Australian history, or both, this is a time to come together and celebrate.
Mary MacKillop was a pioneering woman who embodied the very best of our values and the best of the Australian spirit.
Mary dedicated her life to the educational and spiritual needs of the poor.
In the 19th century, thousands upon thousands of children in towns and communities across Australia were denied the opportunity of even the most rudimentary education.
Mary MacKillop was deeply distressed by seeing children whose future potential was being stripped away from them, never having the chance to learn to read and write.
And her life embodied her frequent saying –
"Never see a need without trying to do something about it".
She believed in the transformative power of a good education, and she acted on that belief.
When we read the story of Mary MacKillop, we can only wonder at how she imagined that she could ever make a difference. She was, after all, a woman of the most humble background, who brought no resources to the task: no money, no special contacts, and no formal qualifications, nothing but a willing spirit and a deep faith.
Yet with that faith and that spirit, Mary changed the course of many young Australians’ lives, allowing children to develop their talents and realise their potential.
Her work also greatly benefited entire local communities, reflecting the principle of subsidiarity at the core of Catholic social teaching - the principle that says that when we empower individuals and strengthen local communities, we build a stronger society.
At a time when many families had no access to state-provided educational facilities, the Sisters of St Joseph established schools in local communities across Australia.
More than a century later, Australia still enjoys the legacy of the work of Mary MacKillop and many other Australians of strong religious faith...
...the enduring importance of faith-based schooling in Australia...
...which today continues to provide choice to parents of new generations of Australian children.
Mary MacKillop’s work of course went well beyond education.
She advanced the cause of social justice, working unceasingly for the homeless, the marginalised and the destitute.
Hers was a life of devotion and sacrifice. But also a life of adventure, determination and resilience.
This is a saint who rides horseback for days under the searing Australian sun, just to visit a few isolated Sisters, who has grit under her fingernails and sweat on her brow.
Her life resounds with stories that are at once inspiring, challenging and sometimes even just a little amusing. In many ways, Mary MacKillop embodies the spirit of Australian egalitarianism.
We do not find even the faintest spirit of sectarianism in her relationship with those of other faiths or of no faith. For her every person was worth of dignity and respect.
There could be no more fitting person to have the great honour of recognition as the first Australian to become a saint.
Today, a century after her passing, the work that Mary MacKillop began still continues through the Sisters of St Joseph.
The Sisters have worked hard to extend the celebrations of Mary MacKillop’s canonisation to the whole Australian community.
In that context I am delighted to confirm that if re-elected, the Government will support the celebration of this unique, historic event with a total $1.5 million contribution.
Some $550,000 of this amount will support:
• a youth contingent and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives who will attend and participate in the Canonisation Ceremony in Rome;
• the production and distribution of educational materials associated with the occasion, and
• public events taking place at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney in October.
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A further $250,000 of the contribution from the Australian Government will assist with some of the expenses of the 7,000 Australians who are attending the official events in Rome.
In recognition of the legacy of Mary MacKillop’s service to people most in need, the Government will also provide a contribution of $700,000 to the Mary MacKillop Foundation.
This will support a range of projects across Australia, including support for rural and isolated communities, indigenous groups and people with disabilities.
I also announce tonight that with the Opposition’s agreement, the Government has extended Deductible Gift Recipient status to the Mary MacKillop Place Trust.
This will apply through to 30 June 2011, to support certain activities associated with the canonisation.
I acknowledge the Opposition’s support in facilitating this decision.
Friends, Mary MacKillop’s story is a great inspiration to all Australians today.
And it will be a great inspiration for future generations.
On 17 October, Australians of all faiths and backgrounds will therefore have great cause to celebrate the life and legacy of this great Australian pioneer and as we will soon be able to say, this great Australian saint.
Tags: Community, Gillard, Julia, Labor