Summary

Yellow scarf with hand drawn illustration by Alessandro Mozzoni in consultation with members of the Sisters of St Joseph. Given out as part of the official Pilgrim Pack, it was worn by Australian pilgrims who went to Rome for the canonisation of Mary MacKillop. It could also be purchased from the Sisters of Saint Joseph for those attending services in Australia.

It was reported that there were 8000 Australians at the service in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican. This scarf made some of them instantly recognisable amongst the 50,000 strong crowd. Although restrained during the service itself, many of the Australians cheered at the end, waved their scarves in the air and chanted 'Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!'.

Sister Maria Casey described the scarf as follows: 'The scarf is bordered in soft brown, reminiscent of the original brown of the Josephite habit. The gold at the end recalls the Australian colour with the Southern Cross symbolising that Mary was an Australian. Her signature in this corner confirms that she is thoroughly part of the Australian cultural heritage and is being honoured at the time of her canonisation. The aboriginal motif reminds us that Australia was founded in the ancient lands belonging to the Aboriginal peoples... From Mary's place in Australia the flowing lines of colour pulse to the Cross at the other end and return. This reflects that from Australia, Mary's connection and relationship to the Cross, both by her title, Sr Mary of the Cross, and the prominence of the cross in her life bring life and energy to the many she helped in her day. Her legacy lives on and the pulsing colours are those of the flags of the countries where the Sisters of St Joseph have foundations today.'

Physical Description

Thin polyester scarf predominantly coloured yellow with a printed brown border and coloured design including a stylised cross and the Southern Cross. There is an inscription printed at one end. Scarf was folded into three and placed in a plastic bag for distribution.

Significance

Mary MacKillop (later to be known as Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop) became Australia's first saint on Sunday 17 October, 2010. She was canonised by Pope Benedict XVI at a ceremony held at the Vatican in Rome, an event televised live around the world. The process that led to her canonisation had begun a long time before. She died in 1909 and was called a 'saint' by Cardinal Moran on her deathbed, but the formal process did not begin until 1926. This process required, amongst much other evidence, the acceptance by the Vatican of two 'miracles' attributed to her intercession. Although she was born in Victoria, she spent much of her life in New South Wales and South Australia. Her canonisation was a significant event for all Catholic Australians and for the people of Australia more broadly, as she was not only the first Catholic saint but was also a woman. A community event was held at the Royal Exhibition Building (REB) on the day of her canonisation in Rome, and the ceremony was attended by Julia Gillard, Australia's first female Prime Minister. This collection was donated by members of her religious order, the Sisters of St. Joseph, whose mother house is in North Sydney. As well as being a major REB event, the collection has religious, social, public history and local community connections.

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