Australian National Pilgrimage
‘In the Footsteps of Mary MacKillop’ is an Australian National Pilgrimage prepared by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart.
In 2023, the pilgrimage will be led by a Sister of Saint Joseph and the inaugural Director of the Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre, East Melbourne.
Participating in this pilgrimage is a unique opportunity for participants to absorb aspects of Mary’s life and appreciate her role as our Australian Saint.
The notion of going on a pilgrimage and being a pilgrim is a very ancient one that belongs to the spiritual tradition of all great faiths.
Places of pilgrimage beckon people to get caught up in the atmosphere and spiritual realities that belong to their origins. However, it is not only the site that takes people deep into the heart of their faith, but the journey itself.
A pilgrimage is a very personal experience but it is usually a journey with others: seeking, listening, reflecting and seeing the hand of God at work in our own lives.
In the Footsteps of Mary MacKillop will be offered again in 2023. It will begin in East Melbourne on Tuesday 17 October 2023. We will visit many places associated with Mary MacKillop’s life and ministry in Victoria, South Australia and Sydney. The pilgrimage will conclude at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney on Saturday 28 October 2023.
The brochure, itinerary and application form can be viewed by clicking the download buttons below.
2023 Australian National Pilgrimage brochure (PDF) 
Please note: if you are using the fillable Application Form, please save the fillable Application Form to your device PRIOR to filling it in and make sure your information is saved before you email as an attachment. Thank you.
Booking & Enquiries
For further information or to request a hard copy of the Application Form, please contact the Australian Pilgrimage Co-Ordinator:
- Email: national.pilgrimage@mmp.org.au
- Telephone: (02) 8912 4818
Testimonials
To walk in Mary and Julian’s footsteps has been a privilege. To feel the pain, the excitement, the joy and also peace has been such a journey, never to be forgotten.
This pilgrimage of Mary MacKillop has given me the opportunity to listen to the stories of Mary and Julian Tenison Woods as the layers have been peeled back on their lives, dreams, hope and achievements.
Through the collection of prayers, reflections and hymns of the past days, I have been provided with the opportunities to reflect on my life and drew on the patience Mary MacKillop that she practised through the trials, tribulations and challenges of her journey.
I pray that I may develop a stillness to become more aware of the love and compassion of Jesus in my daily life.
Video reflections featuring pilgrims from the 2022 pilgrimage:
Some of the places included on the pilgrimage are shown below:
