Sr Joanna Coleiro, fsp
At Echoing the Word, we are proud to bring you this Mary MacKillop Issue packed with ideas for preparing students for Mary’s canonisation in Rome on 17 October, 2010. To mark this most significant occasion in the life of the Australian Church, we have chosen to make this Issue freely available on our website. This will be a rich resource to help prepare Australia for its first Saint – both for our subscribers, as well as those who have not yet discovered Echoing the Word! If you know teachers or catechists who are looking for material on Mary MacKillop, don’t hesitate to point them to the “free issue” link available from our main page menu.

Jan Grajczonek reviews the three children's books, Ivy Loves to Give, Father Sky and Mother Earth and Angel of Kokoda highlighting how they can be used to develop significant themes in Religious Eduction.

Paul Taouk reviews three religious education resources: Peace People Who Changed the World, "See" RE Stories from Christianity: Guided Visualisations for Children aged 7-11 and A Jesse Tree for Advent: Complete Assemblies for Juniors - even during the year, the Jesse Tree can be used to teach children about Old Testament characters and the family history of Jesus!

Peter Arndt explores the spirit of Mary MacKillop alive in her Sisters today as they continually seek to reach people living on the edges of society. Peter particularly looks at the Sisters' participation in Aboriginal communities and suggests related learning activities for the classroom.

Ann Maree Whenman begins a series of teaching tips on storytelling in the classroom. In this article she looks at how to choose relevant story.

In this article, Ann Maree Whenman reflects on saints as witnesses to the Gospel message. In Mary MacKillop, she says, catechists have both a model and intercessor for their work.

Jan Grajczonek invites teachers of early years students bring Mary MacKillop alive by creating little artefacts such as a Cobb & Co. ticket to represent her travels, a postcard from the Vatican, a letter, even a pair of old rosary beads. It is important that even from an early age, young students come to know Mary's stamina, resilience an gutsy spirit.

Jan Epstein reviews How to Train Your Dragon, exploring the influence of ancient myths on some recent movie releases. She identifies the dragon at the centre of the volcano with our "our worst self" which can only be trained through empathy, courage and trust.

Dylan Fisher is a Year 6 student at Our Lady of Hope Primary School in Greenwith, South Australia. Here, Dylan reviews How to Train Your Dragon, and speaks about how it's okay to have a different opinion to other people.

Taking the simple words of Jesus from the Gospel of John, (John 14:1) Erin Wedge reflects on Mary MacKillop's extraordinary and life-long trust in God.

Tony Densley remembers the influence of Mary MacKillop and her Sisters on Australian life both in our cities and in country regions. He invites us not to dwell on the past but to look towards the challenges that Mary's spirit puts before us today.

In this activity page, Beth Nolen invites students to discover Mary MacKillop by using quotes from her letters to write a letter in Mary's name.

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In this blackline master, Anne Victor helps early years students to discover Mary MacKillop's most foundational characteristic of holiness - that she loved.

As we approach the canonisation of Mary MacKillop the notion of sainthood will be widely explored in Catholic classrooms around Australia. This activity from Beth Nolen helps students to explore the process for becoming a saint as well as the concept of a miracle.

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Clare Horan invites middle primary students to explore the notion of sainthood through what the Scriptures tell us about Jesus and his mother Mary, and what we know about the life and person of Mary MacKillop.

In this prayer-poem, Clare Horan reflects on the gift that Mary MacKillop is to each one of us and the whole Church. This is a poem that can be used with staff or students.

In this blackline master for middle primary, Anne Victor asks students to match 'wise words' from Mary MacKillop with others from Jesus, helping them to recognise how Mary imitated Jesus in her own life.