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St Mary of the Cross Primary and Secondary Curriculum Possibilities

St Mary of the Cross – Curriculum Possibilities for the Primary and Secondary Classroom Page 2

Mary MacKillop: St Mary of the Cross

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CURRICULUM POSSIBILITIES

Some big ideas: compassion, service, justice, community, Australian spirituality, integrity,

identity, vision, following one’s dream.

Some big questions:

How can Catholics live justly in our local and global community?

Who are the poor and how might Catholics respond?

LEVEL 1 KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

Students are introduced to the story of Mary MacKillop. Using the website

www.marymackillop.org.au, students explore early photographs depicting Mary’s life

and work. Students investigate how Mary taught the children of poor families and helped

children who had no one else to care for them by setting up orphanages so they had

somewhere to live.

REASONING AND RESPONDING

Students are invited to wonder and generate questions about Mary MacKillop and her

work of teaching and caring for young children. They are invited to express their feelings,

ideas and wonderings about Mary’s story through art, drama and play.

PERSONAL AND COMMUNAL ENGAGEMENT

Students are invited to participate in a prayer celebration focused on Mary MacKillop –

woman who loved the poor.

Possible exemplar unit: Following Jesus: Loving and Serving


Students learn about Mary MacKillop as an ordinary woman who is part of the Australian

Catholic Church. Using the website www.marymackillop.org.au, students explore stories,

videos and photographs of her life. Students examine the evidence of her very practical

love for the poor, and the legacy she has left for us in Australia today.



Using Godly play, poetry, song, drama or visual art, students express their ideas and

feelings about Mary.


Students set up a prayer space with a cross and images of Mary as central symbols. They

choose parts of her story for a reflection on her life.

Possible exemplar unit: Alive in the Spirit … Spirited People


Using the website www.marymackillop.org.au students gather information, images and

stories to create a timeline of the significant events in Mary MacKillop’s life. Students

explore Mary’s beliefs and values that led to her concern for the ‘underdog’ and the

Australian ‘battler’. They interpret the legacy of Mary MacKillop in the work of the Sisters

of St Joseph today.


Students reflect on their own thinking and values in light of those of Mary MacKillop and

the Josephites’ commitment to the ‘underdog’ and ‘battler’.


Students take action around an area of need in their own context. They use symbols and

texts from Mary MacKillop’s story to plan collaboratively a class prayer or liturgy.

Possible exemplar unit: The Holy Spirit in our Lives

Level 4 KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

Students explore how Mary MacKillop and Fr Julian Tenison Woods served the Australian

community by providing education for the children of poor families. Students explore

what Australia, particularly the Church in Australia, might have looked like in the time of

Mary MacKillop. By examining Mary MacKillop’s life and work, students explore her

particular contribution to the Church in Australia. They compare it to Australian life today

and the ways the Church is part of Australian life now.



Students reflect on the values and beliefs that shaped Mary MacKillop’s and Fr Woods’

dream to educate the poor and isolated children of Australia. They consider their own

beliefs and values in light of this. They wonder and reflect on what it might mean to be a

Catholic in today’s world.


Students explore ways they can take the vision of Mary MacKillop into their own lives.

They plan and engage in activities that build just local and global communities.

Possible exemplar unit: People of God in Australia

LEVEL 5 Year 7: Unit 5a Christian Ideals: Moral Decisions

In this unit, students assess the extent to which moral character has an impact on the

process of making choices. Mary MacKillop held fast to her ideals and her vision for

providing an education for the poorest young Australians even when that vision was in

danger of being lost forever, following her excommunication.

Invite students to explore how Mary followed her dream, in collaboration with Fr Julian

Tenison Woods, in establishing the Sisters of St Joseph, and how she remained faithful to

her ideals in spite of intense opposition.

Invite students to explore the qualities of Mary’s character and her Christian ideals:

compassion, determination, courage, and so on. How might her motto – ‘Never see a

need without trying to do something about it’ – be lived out today by Year 7 students?

Students research the sayings of Mary MacKillop and prepare a prayer celebration

focused around her faithfulness to her dream of working for and with the poorest

Australians.

LEVEL 5 Year 8: Unit 5b Living the Christian Life

In this unit, students identify ways in which Christians live lives of discipleship in

accordance with the ideals and values of Jesus. Mary MacKillop purposefully lived out

Christian discipleship in early Australia. Explore with students what they already know


about Mary MacKillop. Students might refer to the website, www.marymackillop.org.au,

to deepen their knowledge and understanding of her life, ideals and values.

Mary MacKillop was a woman of compassion. What evidence can students find to

support this claim? How did Mary strive to transform the lives of individuals? Students

could create a visual or musical response to these questions.

Students might explore the meaning of the word providence. Mary MacKillop chose

poverty, and one of her values was to ‘trust in God’s Providence’. In the light of her time,

was she being counter‐cultural? Students design a chart comparing some sayings of Mary

MacKillop with the message and values of Jesus in the Gospel. Might students identify

Mary’s values as radical Christian values?

Discuss:

How would Mary’s values be translated in today’s world?

How might Mary MacKillop view the values of Year 8 students in Australia

today?

Students prepare a class prayer service around Jesus’ Beatitudes and the sayings of Mary

MacKillop.

LEVEL 6 Year 9: Unit 2b The Catholic Church in Australia

In this unit, students investigate and research the contributions that people have made

to the Catholic Church in Australia. Mary MacKillop, in collaboration with Fr Julian

Tenison Woods, made a significant contribution to the Australian Church by establishing

an education system that specifically catered to the poor and underprivileged in the early

Australian colonies.

Students might explore:

The isolation of children in rural Australia in the mid‐19th century

Catholic religious expression in the mid‐19th century

The Government’s stance on public funding for Catholic education in the mid‐

19th century

The vision for Catholic education that Mary MacKillop and Fr Julian Tenison

Woods implemented.

Students might also explore whether there is a specifically ‘Australian’ spirituality. Might

Mary MacKillop have tapped into it by her emphasis on caring for the ‘underdog’ and the


‘battler’? How might Mary’s venturing into the vast open spaces of rural Australia have

influenced her spirituality?

Student Reflection: How would you feel if you had been Mary? Who are the ‘underdogs’

in Australia today? What would your response be?

Students prepare a prayer service celebrating Mary MacKillop in the light of Australian

spirituality and imagery, e.g. colours of the Australian landscape, images of Australians

responding to people in need.

LEVEL 6 Year 10: Unit 5b Working for Justice in Australia

In this unit, students critique the value systems in contemporary Australian society, the

reality of oppression, and the Christian call to work for justice in the world. The Sisters of

St Joseph, established by Mary MacKillop and Fr Julian Tenison Woods are contemporary

examples of individuals and groups working for justice in Australia.

Students might explore the work of the Sisters of St Joseph in Australia and beyond, and

record the legacy of Mary MacKillop embodied in their work. Refer to the websites

www.marymackillop.org.au and www.sosj.org.au for a deepening of knowledge and

understanding regarding her legacy, which includes:

Education in rural areas; caring for the aged; supporting families and women; partnering

with Indigenous peoples; supporting spiritual growth; supporting fair trade; funding small

life‐changing projects; supporting those in grief and loss; speaking out and advocacy; parish

and pastoral ministry.

In small groups, students choose a contemporary song about injustice and examine the

central message of the song and the relevance of this song to community injustices

today.

Students prepare a prayer service celebrating Australia’s first saint, Mary MacKillop – a

woman dedicated to justice.


Mary MacKillop Resources and References WEBSITES: www.marymackillop.org.au (twitter and facebook can be found on this web page) www.sosj.org.au www.marymackillopplace.org.au DVDS: Mary MacKillop – Soul of a Sunburnt Country ( 75 min and also includes Short History of Mary MacKillop, 11 mins, and Testimonials, 2 min, what does Mary MacKillop mean to me) ‘Mary’ – a film by Kay Pavlo; Australian Film Corporation, 1994 (90 min) ‘That Very Troublesome Woman – The Dramatic Search for Mary MacKillop’ written by Dion Boehme and produced and directed by John Mabey – 60 minutes EASY READING: Doyle, Bernadette; El‐Hage, Lila and Walsh, Anne, The Story of Mary MacKillop John Garratt Publishing, 2010 Freeman, Pamela: The Black Dress – Mary MacKillop’s Early Years, Black Dog Books, 2nd edition 2008. O’Brien, Lesley: Mary MacKillop Unveiled, John Garratt Publishing, 2008. O’Sullivan, Colleen RSJ: The Gift of Mary MacKillop, John Garratt Publishing, 2007. Steer, Judith RSJ: Mary MacKillop Touching our Lives, St Paul’s, 2008. Wicks, Pauline RSJ (ed) Mary MacKillop – An Inspiration for Today, Trustees of Sisters of St Joseph 2005. Memories of Mary by those who knew her – Sisters of St Joseph 1925‐26, John Garratt, 2010. SPIRITUALITY: Collection Mary MacKillop Prayer Book for Children John Garratt Publishing 2010. Cuskelly, EJ Mary MacKillop – A Spiritual Model for Australasia St Paul’s, 2010. Kane, Sue and Leo: The Little Brown Book – Mary MacKillop’s Spirituality in our everyday lives St Paul’s, 2009. Lyne Daniel Mary MacKillop – Made in Australia St Paul's, 2010. Wicks, Pauline RSJ: God will take care of us all – A Spirituality of Mary MacKillop St Paul’s, 2009. Gardiner Paul: Mary MacKillop – An Extraordinary Australian David Ell Publishing, 8th edition 2007. COLLECTIONS OF LETTERS: McCreanor, Sheila RSJ: Mary MacKillop and Flora – Correspondence between Mary MacKillop and her mother Flora McDonald MacKillop Trustees of Sisters of St Joseph, 2004. McCreanor, Sheila RSJ: Mary MacKillop in Challenging Times – 1883‐1899 – a collection of letters Trustees of Sisters of St Joseph, 2006. McCreanor, Sheila RSJ: Mary MacKillop on Mission to her last Breath – Correspondence about the Foundations of the Sisters of St Joseph in Aotearoa New Zealand and Mary’s Final Years 1881‐1909, Trustees of the Sisters of St Joseph, 2009. TEACHER RESOURCES: Ryan, Maurice and Grajczonek, Jan; Learning Links to Mary MacKillop – Teacher Resources for the Religion Classroom; Lumino Press, 2009. Study Kit: A Glimpse into the life of Mary MacKillop – 4 Sessions Pamphlets: Praying from the Heart ‐ a reflection for each day of the week. Discovering the Heart of Mary Mackillop (A3 fold leaflet with aspects of Mary's life) Mary MacKillop – for the Church and for the World (brief story and prayer). CHILDREN’S BOOKS: Goodwin, Joan RSJ, Mary MacKillop – A Great Australian Trustees of the Sisters of St Joseph. Stevenson, Dorothy RSJ This is a Lovely Country – Stories about Mary MacKillop and the Sisters of St Joseph in New Zealand, Catholic Publications Centre, Auckland 1994.


OTHER: Foale, Marie rsj: The Josephite Story 1866‐1893, Trustees of Sisters of St Joseph, 1989. McCreanor, Sheila RSJ: Sainthood in Australia: Mary MacKillop and the Print Media, Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, 2001. Modystack, William: Blessed Mary MacKillop – A woman before her time, Lansdowne Publishing, 1982. Thorpe, Osmund Mary MacKillop Trustees of the Sisters of St Joseph, 3rd Edition 1994. HISTORY COLLECTIONS: Barnard, Jill From Humble Beginnings – The Story of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in Victoria, 1890‐2009 Uther and Patullo Publishing, 2009. Burford, Kath RSJ: Unforrowed Fields – A Josephite Story NSW 1872‐1972 Trustees of the Sisters of St Joseph, 1991. Crowley, Marie Women of the Vale – Perthville Josephites 1872‐1972 Spectrum Publications, 2002. Foale, Marie RSJ: The Josephite Story – The Sisters of St Joseph: their foundation and early history 1866‐1893 Trustees of the Sisters of St Joseph, 1989. Foale, Marie RSJ: Think of the Ravens ‐ The Sisters of St Joseph in Social Welfare South Australia 1867‐1980 Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart SA Inc, 2001. Foale, Marie RSJ: The Josephites Go West – 1887‐1920 University of Notre Dame Australia Press, WA, 1995. McKenna, Margaret RSJ: With Grateful Hearts – Mary MacKillop and the Sisters of St Joseph in Queenland, 1870‐1970 Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart North Sydney, 2010. Strevens, Diane MacKillop Women – The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart Aotearoa New Zealand 1883‐2006 David Ling Publishing, 2008. ARTWORK: Wilson, Andrew ed: Mary MacKillop: A Tribute Artworks of Mary MacKillop produced at time of Beatification: Honeysett Press, 1995. Mary MacKillop Daily Calendar – a quote for each day of the year. Catholic Adult Education Centre, Sydney: [email protected] MUSIC: If I could tell the Love of God – CD and Sheet Music – Trustees of Sisters of St Joseph 1995. Chinn, Andrew Wherever I Go ‐ ‘A Cross of Stars’ ‐ CD and DVD – Butterfly Music 2004. Fletcher, Mary MacKillop Legacy – CD. Herry, Michael FMS, Dare to Dream – ‘Woman for Today’ – CD. Herry, Michael FMS, From Penola’s Plains – Sheet Music – 2009. Mangan, Michael Sing Your Joy – ‘Mary of the Cross’ – CD. McGarry, Therese and Barlow, Monica RSJ Litany of Mary MacKillop, Trustees of the Sisters of St Joseph, 2007. Watts, Trish Never Hide your Love – CD and Sheet Music – Trustees of Sisters of St Joseph, 2008. WHERE TO GO: Resources can be purchased through the Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre 362 Albert Street EAST MELBOURNE Vic 3000 Ph: 03 9926 9300; Fax: 03 9926 0330 Email: [email protected] Books on the life and spirituality of Mary MacKillop may also be ordered directly through Pauline Books and Media, John Garratt Publishing or the Central Catholic Bookshop in Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.

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