Born in 1842 to two Scottish immigrants, Mary Helen MacKillop was brought up in a very religious, financially unstable household in Fitzroy, Melbourne. She resolved at a young age to lead a religious life. This goal was realized in 1866, after MacKillop had worked as a shop assistant, teacher and governess. In 1866 MacKillop met an English priest, Julian Tenison-Woods who was based in South Australia. Tenison-Woods shared her quasi-mystic, almost zealous brand of Catholicism. Together they founded …
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…Pope John Paul II, and is the first Australian to have had this honor. MacKillop is significant to Australia's large Catholic population, and the strong Catholic tradition within Australian culture. However, MacKillop is not only revered for her religious work, but also her cultural contribution. Her refusal to submit to patriarchal Church authority, a fierce independence, and the egalitarian attitude of her life and work recommend her as a strong female and Australian role model.