Ruminations of an Irascible Hermit.: The saint who was excommunicated

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

The saint who was excommunicated

Today in Australia, we celebrate the Solemniy of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. The first ever official saint from Australia, canonised in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI.

St Mary MacKillop is a truly inspirational saint who persevered in her vocation and in loving God, even in the face of harassment by priests, slander, persecution, and even temporary excommunication. She humbly stood up for her rights while still respecting the hierarchy, and was eventually vindicated by the Vatican under Pope Pius IX who approved her religious congregation of sisters and their independence from the authority of the local Bishops.

She felt the need to help children who were not receiving education because of their poverty. So with the support of a priest, she eventually started a congregation of religious sisters under the patronage of St Joseph and the Sacred Heart, who would be committed to the education of children and teaching them their faith. As a teacher herself, she was able to live out this charism and to share this with her sisters.

As time developed, she founded more schools and more sisters joined her congregation. They became known as the “Brown Joeys” because of their brown habit and the order being under the patronage of St Joseph. From Australia they also established schools in New Zealand as well.

As a new religious congregation of sisters in simple vows, there was confusion and misunderstandings from the clergy regarding their formation, their obedience and also their ecclesial position within the Church. Many priests with a very clerical attitude of the time, expected the sisters to defer to the parish priest and obey him without question - even if it meant changing their teaching methods, living out their charism according to their rule, and especially in relationship to their Mother Superior who was St Mary MacKillop. This led to priests and a bishop trying to subjugate the sisters directly under their authority, whilst St Mary MacKillop firmly believed that the charism of her congregation needed central leadership. This lead to a smear campaign against her and eventually her excommunication by a bishop.

It has also been revealed that one of the priests involved in trying to suppress St Mary MacKillop had a personal grudge against her. The sisters received reports of this priest sexually abusing children and so reported him through the correct channels. To complicate matters, he also seems to have personally harassed and bullied St Mary directly according to these letters and testimonies.

Even after all this suffering, her humility and love for the Church become even more inspirational. Instead of going against her conscience, she powerfully and respectfully advocated for herself and the rights of her congregation. Pope Pius IX upheld her rights for her congregation to remain faithful to their charism with centralised authority. Eventually the congregation received papal approval under Pope Leo XIII and they still exist today.

How many of us have experienced misunderstandings or persecution in our parishes or diocese’s? Can we also say that we have not fallen into bitterness or despair due to these circumstances? Many saints experienced persecution within the Church - some from fellow religious, some from their direct superiors, or others from the hierarchy. We only need to think of St John of the Cross, St Padre Pio - and now St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.

She truly is an inspirational saint for these times of remaining faithful to God and conscience - even while being accused of disobedience. Yet in all this, she did not despair or hate, instead she prayed and trusted in God. She truly lived up to her religious name - “of the Cross”. Her suffering and witness help us to understand that being a saint is hard! It takes courage in the face of our own weaknesses and shortcomings, as well as in the face of misunderstandings, slander and persecution. Jesus experienced the pain of betrayal and persecution too, we must never forget that he warns us we too will experience this as we follow him. But he also promises us blessing for our faithfulness. Our vindication rarely happens in this life, but in the Divine Providence of God and his Justice, we will be able to rejoice when Jesus reveals the hearts of all at the end of time, and we are vindicated. So long as we persevere in following the call of Jesus, he promises us salvation and vindication.

https://saintjohns.weebly.com/mary-mackillopthe-excommunication--the-episcopol-commission.html

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Disclaimer

Please note. I am a Catholic layman, not a qualified theologian or philosopher. What I say and write here are my own personal thoughts and ideas, although I always try to conform my writings to the Magisterium of the Church.

I- with firm faith believe and profess everything that is contained in the symbol of faith: namely,

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: By the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in the one holy catholic and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

With firm faith I believe as well everything contained in God's word, written or handed down in tradition and proposed by the church--whether in solemn judgment or in the ordinary and universal Magisterium--as divinely revealed and called for faith.

I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is proposed by that same church definitively with regard to teaching concerning faith or morals.

What is more, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate when they exercise the authentic Magisterium even if they proclaim those teachings in an act that is not definitive.