Being named a saint in the Catholic Church is a very high honour. It means the saint’s name is added to the official catalogue of saints, and that Masses and feast days can be celebrated in his or her honour. Churches can then be dedicated in the saint’s memory, and his or her name can be used in public prayers, such as litanies.

What does it take for someone to be named a saint? The process is called canonisation and it involves four major steps.

• Request for Canonisation: At least five years after a person’s death (unless a special exception is made by the Pope), a formal request is made to consider him or her for sainthood. The people making the request are usually from the candidate’s church or religious community. They submit their request to the bishop of the diocese where the person died. The request tells how the person lived a life of holiness and lists reasons for considering the candidate for sainthood. If the bishop believes there is enough evidence to consider the person for sainthood, he asks the Vatican for permission to open a special tribunal. Witnesses are then called to attest to the candidate’s goodness, holiness, devotion to God, and other virtues. If a person passes this step, he or she is named a “Servant of God.”
  
  Even before her death Mary’s extraordinary life and faith were widely acknowledged throughout Australia and beyond. It was this widespread recognition which led her Josephite Congregation, the Archbishop of Sydney and the Conference of Australian Bishops to request that Mary’s holiness be acclaimed by the wider Church. In the diocesan phase of the beatification process the writings of Mary MacKillop were examined, stories and testimony concerning her reputation for holiness were collected from people who knew her or had heard of her.
  
  
• Determination: The bishop sends a formal report and request to Rome where it is reviewed by the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. Nine theologians read the material and determine whether there is enough cause to pass it to the entire Congregation. If so, the candidate’s writings and other aspects of his or her life are studied to make sure there is nothing that goes against the teachings and practices of the Church. As part of this investigation a person called a “devil’s advocate” raises questions and objections to the candidate’s sainthood. This is to make sure the final decision is complete and fair, and all evidence of the candidate’s saintliness is assured. Once a candidate has been determined to be virtuous and heroic in his or her faith, he or she is declared “Venerable.”
  
  The next phase involved the preparation of documentation which was to be presented in Rome. This included compiling a full history of Mary MacKillop as well as presenting information on a miracle to indicate that Mary had intercessory powers. All the information sent to Rome was examined by a panel of medical specialists who gave an opinion as to whether the cure could be explained by scientific means. This opinion was positive. Then theologians and cardinals studied whether the cure could be attributed to the intercession of Mary MacKillop. This outcome was positive and decreed on July 6, 1993. Meanwhile Mary’s heroicity of virtue was established in June 1992. Mary now had the title of “Venerable”.
  
  
• Beatification: The next step is beatification. If the candidate was a martyr, someone who died for their faith, he or she may be beatified and named “Blessed.” Otherwise, a miracle brought about by the intercession of the saint must occur and be verified by the Congregation. Once the person is beatified and named “Blessed,” he or she can be venerated, or officially honoured, in his or her city, diocese, region, or religious community.
  
  Mary was beatified in Sydney on January 19, 1995 by Pope John Paul 11. This took place in the presence of many thousands of people who had travelled from all over Australia, New Zealand and many parts of the world. Her canonisation in Rome followed 16 years later, giving Australia its first canonised saint.
  
  
• Canonisation: After being beatified, another miracle is required for the person to be canonised and officially declared a saint. Once again, the miracle must have occurred as a result of the person’s intercession. The Prefect of the Congregation then sends the cause for canonisation to the Pope who makes the final decision. Once a person is canonised, he or she is officially declared a “Saint.” The Pope declares this in an official way at a special Mass in honour of the new saint.
  
  
• In April 2008, the documents pertaining to a remarkable cure of a woman with inoperable cancer were delivered under seal to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. These were officially opened and then examined to establish if they were validly prepared according to the juridical requirements of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. When validity of the process was confirmed an official summary was prepared. Then a chronological history of the illness and cure was also prepared. In September 2008, this book was given to two doctors, chosen by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. These doctors scrutinised the documents and had access to all X-rays, scans and medical reports from the cured person as well as other references to the illness from medical literature. They were asked to give an opinion on the question, “Can the cure be explained by scientific or medical means?” When the doctors concluded that the cure could not be explained by medical or scientific means, all the material was further studied and discussed by a Medical Board, whose members were also chosen by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. It took several months for the close scrutiny of this case to be examined by the Medical Board and theologians and eventually the cardinals and bishops recommended to Pope Benedict XVI that this cure was truly a miracle.
  
  
• On December 19 2009, Pope Benedict XVI approved this miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Mary MacKillop. This was the final step to fulfil the requirements for canonisation. On February 19, 2010 Pope Benedict XVI announced that Mary MacKillop will become Australia’s first saint and her canonisation will take place in Rome on Sunday 17 October, 2010
  
  
• Mary MacKillop was canonised on October 17, 2010 at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome. Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed Mary’s sainthood during a Canonisation Mass, in the presence of many thousands of people and streamed live around the world.
  
  
  Louise East - Religious Education Coordinator