Rome 17 October 2010
Mary MacKillop, born 1842,
what are the clergy giving you
on my birthday, Mother Mary?
Sainthood? So long after God did?
Independence? But you’re your own Scot.
The job of Australian icon?
Well yes. Black flies in the buggy.
Bush pianos. The cheek-sawing wimple
in summer: you did do local penance.
Your vow to “educate poor children””
might you now say “to heal n
the education of poor children”?
Who says a woman can’t rise
in the Church? Mother Mary,
awake in Heaven, pray for us.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Voyages to the End of the World
Francis Bacon dreamed of abolishing disease, natural disasters, and chance itself. He also dreamed of abolishing God.
The Cambrian Implosion
A historical moment ago, it was too obvious for words, but: Life is a blessing. So to…
Where Is God in The Lord of the Rings? (ft. Douglas Estes)
In the latest installment of the ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein, Douglas Estes joins…
