Atheist Age

Mary MacKillop or Medicine?

A young Irishman working in Australia was assaulted in August last year and left unconscious with serious head injuries, on a street in suburban Sydney.

David Keohanes family flew him home to Ireland in September where he remained in a coma until St. Patricks day – March 17th – this year. His family who have prayed daily to The Blessed Mary MacKillop are convinced his awakening is due to her direct interception.

Skeptics might suggest at least some praise is due the dedicated input from various medicos and neurologists over seven months not to mention pointing to the documented role of modern medicine, predictable coma progress and the abundant tragedies and failures associated with faith healing.

Born in Fitzroy Melbourne, Australian nun Mary MacKillop who founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of The Sacred Heart, died a century ago this coming August. MacKillop was excommunicated in 1871 arguably for independence, confidence and being a woman, only to be returned to “full communion” the next year. Mary had been ordered by her own bishop to relinquish control of her schools and order. She refused, endured the drama and received a full apology – perhaps once correspondence had reached Rome for consideration.

Mary remains a significant figure in Australian history simply due to her dedication and success in educating the poor of Australias expansive rural areas. She was Venerated on June 13th 1992 and Beatified on January 19th 1995 by Pope John Paul II. If this “second miracle” is accepted as an official step in the lengthy final two processes of reaching Sainthood, Mary would be canonised to the status of Saint. Already Mary is officially “in Heaven” and is capable of the intercession of the saints – directly interceding in reality at the request of one who prays for same.

The family plan to write to Pope Benedict XVI to inform him of their conviction MacKillop is responsible for this step in their sons recovery. This may be recognised as the second miracle since 1995 when it was accepted she “cured” a woman of leukaemia. The entire process of becomming a Saint is predictably lengthy and in fact the Holy See only successfully intervened in the process in 993, eventually handling all canonisations after St. Gaultier in 1153.

Briefly the stages from mere mortal to Saint are; Servant of God, Venerable, Blessed and Saint. The first phase has a five year time limit which can be waived, as Pope John Paul II did for Mother Teresa and Benedict has in turn done for John Paul II. Another phase seems to be more clinically managed today.

After ‘Servant of God’, the declaration of Non-cultus is made. Following exhumation of the corpse and assurance that no cult has evolved around the deceased or the tomb, the declaration is made and appropriate “relics” may be gathered.

Divinus Perfectionis Magister [1983] and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints [1983], are the primary documents overseeing the full Roman Catholic Procedure of recognition of Sainthood, following the 1983 Apostolic Constitution of Pope John Paul II.

Whilst this may bode exceptionally well for the Sisters of St. Joseph, as a skeptic there is really only one concern I feel I must voice. How must poor St. Patrick feel about all this? Then again, it was already St. Patricks Day and noting worldwide celebrations, he may have been in no state to perform anything at all – saintly intercession or nay.

Tags: Critical Thought, Faith Healing, Miracle, Skepticism