On 8 August, we celebrate the solemnity of St Mary of the Cross McKillop, our first Australian saint and patron saint of our country. Mathews Noble, a first year seminarian at Corpus Christi College in Melbourne, recently joined nine other first year seminarians on a four-day pilgrimage to the places where St Mary lived, worked and prayed. He describes it as a ‘positive and spiritually fruitful experience’ and ‘a very good aspect of first year formation’.
Mathews is no stranger to pilgrimages, having been with his family to Rome, Paris and Lourdes. But this was his first pilgrimage to places honouring our own Australian saint, and his first as part of a group preparing for the priesthood.
The men travelled to Penola with the blessing of Rector Fr Cameron Forbes and accompanied by their first year formator, Fr Daryl Montecillo.
After paying a visit in Hamilton to the grave of Mary’s father, Alexander McKillop, they continued on to Penola, stopping overnight in Mt Gambier.
Before setting out on the pilgrimage, many of the seminarians had paid a visit to the Josephite Sisters, the religious order founded by St Mary McKillop, to learn more about their history. Unfortunately, Mathews was unwell and unable to take part in that visit, but the long drive to Penola gave him time to learn more about Mary McKillop and her life. He says learning about her life and what she went through was good preparation for actually visiting the sites.
She seemed like a very ordinary person who went through trials in an extraordinary way,
Along with Hamilton and Mt Gambier, the pilgrimage took in the Mary McKillop Centre and St Joseph’s Church in Penola—where the pilgrims learnt about Mary’s life and saw the school where she taught—as well as Portland and a section of the Great South Western Walk.
Reflecting on the pilgrimage, Mathews says that the things that stood out for him were how Mary ‘faced the trials she came across in her life, starting with her unjust excommunication and then later on with further accusations by her Archbishop about drunkenness.’
Mathews says he has been inspired by the way Mary approached the trials she faced with serenity, and by her charity towards the very people who persecuted her.
‘She seemed like a very ordinary person who went through trials in an extraordinary way,’ he observes.
‘Her sanctity in the midst of trial, her Christ-like patience in suffering and her love towards her enemies—that really touched me.’
Mathews also found it interesting that Mary attracted so many vocations when she went to Rome. Referring to the 15 vocations she returned with, he says, ‘That was just impressive, her ability to attract others to her way of life.’
Mathews was also surprised to learn about Mary’s difficult childhood, with her father running into financial difficulties and the young Mary having to take on responsibilities at an early age.
The pilgrims stayed in three-berth, cabin-style accommodation. While they had everything they needed, it was far from luxurious. Having the opportunity to spend time together outside the usual setting allowed the men to get to know each other a little better, and Mathews found that when they were not visiting pilgrimage sites, the time the group spent just building friendships and a sense of brotherhood was another valuable aspect of the pilgrimage.
Having that support with each other and being able to support each other in our vocations— that goes a long way in being able to persevere and go down the path that God is calling me to go.
‘Spending long hours on the road together in a van—spending a lot of time in each other’s company that’s separate from the seminary, that’s not related to studies or prayer or work—gives us time together in a different setting,’ says Mathews.
‘You get to learn a lot more about each other’s different characteristics and preferences. The brotherhood that we share as first years is something that is reflected across different years in the seminary as well. And having that support with each other and being able to support each other in our vocations—I think that, for me, goes a long way in being able to persevere and go down the path that God is calling me to go.’
Mathews says that these uniquely Australian pilgrimage experiences have inspired in him a devotion to St Mary of the Cross McKillop, giving him a greater respect and love for the Australian saint and helping him see her as a role model for all Australians.
Since a pilgrimage is traditionally taken on foot, the seminarians participated in a 14-kilometre solitary walk towards the end of the pilgrimage from Cape Nelson lighthouse to their final night’s accommodation in Portland, a beautiful part of the Great South West Walk. Mathews says that this was ‘a really good opportunity to take the time to reflect on the semester we had completed, see where we are at in our vocation and think about the semester ahead.’
‘Having time alone in the midst of nature to prayerfully reflect on our first semester of seminary life was a beautiful experience.’
In the evening, the pilgrims met Fr Gregory Tait, Parish Priest of All Saints Catholic Church, Portland, who explained the historic significance of Portland in St Mary’s life while showing them around the school where she taught.
The pilgrims concluded their pilgrimage with a morning Mass at All Saints before setting off on the long drive home.
For those who may be contemplating a St Mary McKillop pilgrimage of their own to Portland or Penola, Mathews recommends ‘preparation with prayer and research’.
‘I think, like any pilgrimage, it’s an opportunity to grow in your spirituality or devotion to a saint,’ he says. ‘I would suggest doing a little bit of research beforehand about Mary’s life and all those things that she went through. Being able to then visit the places where she taught and worked and having an opportunity to pray there—it makes the journey more fulfilling.’
All photos courtesy of Corpus Christi Seminary.
