AustLit

'In the earliest days of European settlement in Australia, There was little help for the poor. Then, in the 1860s a deeply religious young woman named Mary Mackillop found a way to make a difference. She set up the order of the Sisters of St Joseph, a group of nuns dedicated to helping the poor. During her lifetime, Mary showed wisdom and faith in the face of great difficulties. Many people admired her work with the poor and deeply religious life, and lobbied to the catholic church to officially recognise her as a saint. In 2010, Mary Mackillops was canonised as Australia's first saint. This is a story of the people, the ideas and the events that led to Mary Mackillop's Sainthood, and how it changed Australia forever.' (Publication summary)