Following in the footsteps of Mary

Published: 20 June 2010

Stepping stones: (From left) Luca Rizzo (Year 1), Mohammed Ibrahim (Year 6), Sr Margaret McKenna, Elsie Morton (Year 5), Sr Brenda Keogh, David Killalea (Year 3), Hannah Buzolic (Prep), Sr Genevieve Carroll and Erin Young (Year 2) check out pavers dedicated to Mary MacKillop

PAVING stones representing the foot-prints of Blessed Mary MacKillop have been blessed at Mary Immaculate School, Annerley.

Annerley Ekibin parish priest Fr Michael McKeaten blessed the pavers, individually decorated by each year level at the school, following a school Mass in Mary Immaculate Church.

The pavers, dedicated to the qualities of Mary, lead students, staff, and parents and friends to the tranquillity of the school's new memorial garden
Members of the Josephite Sisters, who ran the school for many years and who still run the adjoining Marymac Community Centre, were guests of honour.

Josephite Sister Brenda Keogh said the sisters were delighted to be present and acknowledged at the Mass and blessing of the footprint pavers.

"It was a wonderful celebration and it was great to think the school was continuing in the footsteps of Mary MacKillop," she said.

"They've done such a marvellous job."

Sr Keogh, who was principal at the school from 1980-87, said there was a strong bond between the Josephite Sisters, Mary Immaculate School and Our Lady's College and she hoped the connection lasted well into the future.

Assistant principal for religious education Terese Shephard said the aim of the footprint pavers was to help develop each student's sense of the sacred as part of the Religious Identity and Culture strand of the religious life of the school.  

"We had already put in the memorial garden but wanted teachers and students to use the area more," she said.

Following input from Graeme Barry, from the Brisbane Catholic Education Office, teachers worked with Ms Shephard to develop a whole-school unit of work on Mary MacKillop.  

A consistent theme running through the unit focused on how everybody could be like Mary.  

She said each paver was designed to highlight the spirit and charism of Mary MacKillop. 

"Each student designed their own paper mosaic and then as a class chose one that best represented an aspect of Mary's life," she said.

"Art teacher Sharon Chemello and I co-ordinated this and worked out the words for each paver."

Ms Shephard said much of the project came about during the time of the 100th anniversary celebrations of Mary's death, however, with other commitments on the go, the pavers did not get finished in time.

"We decided to put them in this year and chose the 90th anniversary of the Josephite Sisters in the parish as the special time," she said. 

The parish is hosting a celebration for the sisters today (June 20).