"To examine how Christianity influenced Mother Mary Helen MacKillop and the sisters of Saint Joseph to develop and change Australia's education system throughout the years of 1788-1900"

Essay by dxaqtaHigh School, 12th gradeA-, June 2004

download word file, 7 pages 4.7

During the years 1788-1900 Christianity was a factor that influenced the education system greatly. During this time there was a lack of education in Australia, but particular in catholic education. Mother Mary Helen MacKillop and the sisters of Saint Joseph pioneered the use of Christianity as a foundation for education. The sisters of Saint Joseph helped to change and develop a catholic education system in Australia.

Mother Mary life began in Fitzroy, Melbourne in 1842. Where she attend mass every weekend in the midst of her religious mother and father. From a young age she believed that she was called to spend her life working for god. When she was the age of 19, she moved to Penola, in South Australia to be a tutor to her young cousins, but believed that her life shouldn't be wasted teaching the rich but to teach the poor. During the 1850s and 60s the only people that where educated where the people who could afford it and Mother Mary didn't believe in this.

When Mother Mary became good friend with a local priest Father Woods, who had the same concerns as Mother Mary about lack of education and particularly Catholic education in Australia. So the in 1866 they both started the first free catholic school in a renovated stable and, the Mother Mary started teaching more than fifty children. Soon after starting the school Father Woods was appointed Director of Education and became the founder, with Mary, of the Sisters of St Joseph who would teach in their schools.

In 1867 The Sisters of Saint Joseph set up a set of rule or guidelines that where written by Father Woods and Mary to give the Sisters something to live by:

An emphasis on poverty

a dependence on Divine Providence

no ownership of...