Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel
Our location
Chapel opening hours
Mass times
Weekly Masses
On public holidays, this Mass is celebrated at 9:00 am
There is no Mass on Saturdays unless it falls on the 8th of the month – see the Monthly Masses and What’s On.
Monthly Masses
Held on the 8th of each month
Held on the 2nd Tuesday of Feb, June, Aug, Oct, Dec only unless it falls on the 8th of the month. See What’s On to confirm mass times.
Special Masses
Feast Day Celebration
Held on the 8th of August
PLEASE NOTE: For other special masses such as public holidays, Easter, Christmas and other celebrations visit our what’s on page.
About the Chapel
The Chapel, built in 1913 at the request of Mother Baptista Molloy, was dedicated in memory of Mary MacKillop. With a capacity to hold two hundred and eighty people, the Chapel fulfilled one of Mary’s lifelong wishes: to provide a space where all the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart could come together to worship.
The land, generously donated in memory of the Daly family, became the site of this beautiful structure, which was dedicated by the Very Reverend Michael Kelly, Archbishop of Sydney, on 18 January 1914.
Just days later, on 28 January, a significant moment in history took place when Mary MacKillop’s remains were moved from her original resting place at Gore Hill Cemetery and reinterred in a vault before Our Lady’s altar. This vault was donated by Johanna Barr-Smith, who was a life-long friend of Mary’s.
In 1994, Mary MacKillop’s remains were moved to the Chapel’s original vestry where it remains today. The Chapel, which had been used by the Sisters of Saint Joseph for many years, underwent a transformation after Mary’s beatification in 1995. This momentous event was recognised with a visit from Pope John Paul II.
Today, the Chapel is a cherished pilgrimage site open to all, attracting hundreds-of-thousands of visitors, including Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II & Pope Benedict XVI during World Youth Day in 2008. People come to pray, reflect, and find comfort at the tomb of Australia’s first canonised saint, whose enduring legacy of compassion and service continues to inspire.
The Reflection Room
The Reflection room is a peaceful space located beside the Tomb of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop in the Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel. Open to the public during opening hours, it offers comfortable seating and a calm atmosphere that calls visitors to a time of personal prayer and quiet reflection. This space is also used for group gatherings, guided reflections, and after-hours prayer events. Whether visiting alone or with others, the Reflection Room invites all to pause, pray, and connect with God and the spirit of Saint Mary.
12 JANUARY 1913
08 DECEMBER 1913
18 JANUARY 1914
28 JANUARY 1914
28 JANUARY 1914
19 MARCH 1914
02 DECEMBER 1970
20 DECEMBER 1993
19 JANUARY 1995
17 JULY 2008
17 OCTOBER 2010
18 JANUARY 2014
24 DECEMBER 2024
Pastoral care
During your visit, you are warmly invited to connect with a member of our Pastoral Care Team, who is available to offer prayerful support and a compassionate listening ear.
We are available in the Chapel, or you can reach us by phone or email for any pastoral care enquiries and prayer requests:
CHAPEL TESTIMONIALS
With a capacity of 280 seated guests, the Chapel is available for private bookings including baptisms, weddings, youth ministries, prayer nights, vigils, reflections, retreats, pilgrimages and liturgies.
As a Catholic sacred site conditions do apply, all requests will be considered on a case by case basis.
Your support of the Sisters of Saint Joseph helps us carry forward a legacy of compassion, education, and service at Mary MacKillop Place.
“Divine Spirit of Wisdom and Goodness, enlighten my mind, penetrate its blindness. Make me in all things what I ought to be.”
MARY MACKILLOP | 1887