Photo by Tony Lewis

Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson, has made a public apology to the Sisters of St Joseph over the wrongful excommunication of Mary MacKillop in 1871, writes Jenny Brinkworth in Adelaide’s The Southern Cross.

He stressed the apology was a follow-up to the regret expressed by the dying Bishop Sheil when he revoked his excommunication of Mary in 1872.

Speaking at the recent blessing of the MacKillop statue, by Judith Rolevink in Victoria Square’s plaza in the centre of Adelaide, Archbishop Wilson said the excommunication was, in fact, invalid, and that he was “profoundly ashamed of the bishop’s actions in driving the Sisters out on to the streets”.

“This statue will stand as a sign of our affection and as an act of reparation for what happened so long ago”, he said. “The centenary year of Mary’s death is a time of great celebration and we want to repair any hurt we have caused in the past in the spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness.”

A number of Josephite Sisters attending the ceremony wept as the Archbishop made the apology.

Sister Marion Gambin, Leader of the South Australian province of the Sisters of St Joseph said it was a very moving experience. “It was very unexpected and quite humbling”, she said. “We are really very grateful and a lot of the Sisters have expressed their gratitude.”

She said the excommunication had caused much anxiety and many Sisters had ended up homeless.

Sr Sheila McCreanor, secretary-general for the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph, said, “Mary MacKillop set us the example as she didn’t hold grudges and while it was a very hard thing, she was shrewd enough and got good advice to know that the excommunication that was done was not valid.

“And so she felt quite justified in maintaining her links with the Church and the Jesuits provided that link for her. It was just an unfortunate misunderstanding by a bishop who wasn’t really well at the time, and probably ill-advised.”