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Front Row
Seats to Watch History Being Made
The 85 year campaign will soon be over and Australian’s
throughout the world, whether here in Penola, or in Rome
itself will be celebrating.
The ordinary woman who did the extraordinary, at last will
be acknowledged as Australia’s first Saint.
On October 17, 22 students from Tenison Woods College will
be among the millions of Catholics who will rejoice and
acknowledge the life of Blessed Mary MacKillop during a
special Sunday Mass scheduled outdoors in St Peters Square.
In a little over 70 days,
students and staff will depart for Italy on the adventure of
a lifetime as part of the biennial Cultural exchange.
Tenison Woods College teacher Micki Greenham said the tour
aimed to give students a greater understanding of the
Italian culture and the unique opportunity to experience
first hand the
language,
art, history, architecture and lifestyle that makes Italy
famous.
“The best way to learn about the world is to venture out and
experience it” Mrs Greenham said.
“The trip is an opportunity of a lifetime, and one where
students will make life-long friendships and pick up
invaluable skills including confidence, communication and
negotiation skills and cultural awareness.”
Students will fly to Rome in September and onto Turin for 10
days where they will stay with host families from Tenison’s
sister
school,
Nicolo Copernico Scientific High School.
Year 11 student Eliza Short has been studying Italian since
primary school and said she is looking forward to the
experience and the opportunity to visit the country she has
been learning about for over 10 years.
“It’s all a bit overwhelming at the moment, its my first
trip overseas but is going to be
an
amazing experience and one I am
sure I will always remember ” Eliza said.
“Being completely immersed in the language will,
I am sure,
help me in my Italian classes when I arrive home.”
As part of the homestay experience the students will attend
school and take in the sights of Italy, gaining a realistic
understanding of Italian culture, food, traditions, language
and daily activities allowing students the
opportunity to be part of an Italian community.
The trip will then take students onto Venice and Florence
where students will experience the romantic essence of the
canals together with the historical buildings, churches and
art galleries.
The final leg of the Italian Tour will be five days in Rome
via Pisa where students will be attending the Canonisation
mass standing alongside more than 150 Sisters of St Joseph,
the Order she founded, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests – and the
thousands of Australian pilgrims – all there to give thanks
to a truly inspiring Australian.
Year 10 students Melanie Clayfield decided to go on the trip
for the cultural experience and was delighted when the
announcement came through that the school would extend the
tour to include the canonisation.
“To be in Rome to witness Mary MacKillop become Australia’s
first saint will be a wonderful occasion.”
Educated in her primary years at Mary MacKillop Memorial
School in Penola, Melanie is all too familiar with Mary’s
story and her work in education and when she leaves school
hopes to become a teacher herself, one day sharing with her
own class her experience of being in Rome to watch
Australian history being made.
“Mary MacKillop made a great contribution to the education
of children living in rural areas and to those children that
couldn’t afford to be educated.”
“Mary’s story is a true inspiration about the difference we
can make in the lives
of young people” Melanie said.
The canonisation ceremony will bestow sainthood of five
“blessed”. Receiving this privileged elevation along with
Mary will include Stanilao Soltys from Poland, Andre
Bessette from Canada, Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y
Barriola from Spain and Giulia Salzano and Battista da
Varano both from Italy.
During the ceremony, Mary’s life history will be read aloud
before the Pope chants in Latin a prayer which will
effectively enrol her in the Catalogue of Saints. Whilst
long regarded as ‘the People’s Saint’, Mary will receive the
title of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
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