Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I present the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation to the Holy See and Italy for the canonisation of the Blessed Mary MacKillop, from 13 to 19 October 2010. I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

For completeness, it is important that the delegation report be presented to the parliament because the canonisation of Blessed Mary MacKillop was such a historic event. It was a great pleasure to be present. For those who are interested in history, the report of the delegation, as well as a compilation video and booklet of all of the speeches made in the Senate and the House of Representatives on this issue, will be provided to the archives of the Sisters of St Joseph in Sydney. This delegation report will add to the completeness of the history for the Sisters of St Joseph.

The delegation went beyond the issue of Mary MacKillop’s canonisation—the chancery at the Holy See was also opened and we gained a very explicit understanding of the work that the Ambassador to the Holy See, Tim Fischer, is doing in respect of the World Food Program, interfaith dialogue and international peace. I want to make sure everyone here knows about the significant investment of not Australian government funds but Australian funds into the establishment of what is called Domus Australia, which is Australia House in Rome—a house of pilgrimage and a fantastic facility for all Australians travelling to Rome. I am sure that those of you who intend to be in Rome sometime will avail yourselves of what is going to be a spectacular Australian facility there for all of us.