Walking the streets with Australia's first saint

Colombians, Hungarians, Australians, Malaysians and East Timorese joined together to travel with Mary MacKillop on the path to World Youth Day, Sydney 2008. MAGiS 08, a work of the MAGiS Community which is run by Ignation religious orders and lay communities was a program that ran from from 5 July to 20 July 2008. It offered a week of ‘experiments,’ an Ignation Gathering in Sydney and the World Youth Day week of activities. The MAGiS experiments, which took place from 5 – 11 July across Australia and the Asia Pacific challenged people to engage radically with the life of Jesus creatively, through service and pilgrimage, and to challenge oneself and emerge into the world of the experiment.

Walking the streets with Australia’s First Saint, was one such experiment. Where participants journeyed into the life and mission of Blessed Mary MacKillop in order to discover an uniquely Australian path to God. In this experiment participants were immersed in Mary's story, they walked the same sacred ground she once did and carried out ministries in her spirit of hospitality and love which included journeying with the aged at Mary MacKillop Aged Care, visiting with newly arrived migrant families with MacKillop Family Services and performing a play of their own design. In hearing her narrative and participating in her works participants were called upon to respond creatively to her spiritual journey and in so doing bring light to their own search for something more.

For more information on how this program went visit: http://magisvic8.blogspot.com/

At the Centre of Light

At the Centre of Light, a play about Mary MacKillop
by R. Johns.

Mary MacKillop Melbourne is proud to announce that, ‘At the Centre of Light,’ a play loving devoted to telling the story of Australia’s first saint is back this year! Last year it ran for only a short season, so if you missed out you’re in luck, it’s on again in Melbourne and in perfect time for Days in the Diocese.

The play tells Mary’s story from her perspective, from a difficult childhood to exclusion from her own religion, the audience is taken through the highs and lows of her life.

At the Centre of Light takes you on a journey to “19th century Australia, which is being mapped, explored and carved up for minerals and land grabs, Mary MacKillop sets out on a journey to discover another landscape made up of beliefs and dreams. She takes her vision of a new order of nuns to Rome. Her original and authentic voice challenges a colonial society dominated by men and asks, what is this land to which we all belong.”

The play is presented by La Mama at the Carlton Courthouse, from June 25 – July 12, which falls wonderfully within the Days in the Diocese week.

Performances:
Wednesdays and Sundays at 6.30pm
Thursdays to Saturdays at 8.00pm.

General Bookings: 9347 6142
For school and group bookings: Please contact Maureen at La Mama on weekdays, Ph: 9347 6948.