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Our History
MacKillop proudly stands in the community of Mackay as a Catholic Primary School within the Diocese of Rockhampton.
MacKillop’s special religious character is firmly embodied in its motto: “Faith and Service”.
If it wasn’t for the faith and determination of many people and their over-riding commitment to service to the people of God, our school would never have flourished as it has.
In the years when Fr Peter Greene was the Parish Priest of North Mackay, a number of parishioners expressed the desire that another Catholic school should be established in the vicinity of Andergrove. The population of the area was growing and many parishioners supported the idea for a new school to be built. Fr Peter was a visionary and hard working man, who responded to the request with sincerity and dedication.
In 1993 Fr Peter with the help of the then Director of Catholic Education, Mr Joe McCorley, the present site of MacKillop was purchased. At that time, MacKillop was one of the first Catholic schools to have been established in the Diocese of Rockhampton, as the result of a lay driven movement. Interested families attended early meetings and were integral in establishing a School Establishment Taskforce in these formative years.
Fr Peter Greene then approached Mr John Lyons, and he was duly appointed by the Diocesan Catholic Education Office (Rockhampton) as the school’s founding Principal and through the support of St Joseph’s School and the other Catholic schools of Mackay, MacKillop opened its doors for enrolment in 1995.
It is not surprising that Mother Mary of the Cross, Mary MacKillop, was chosen as the Patron for our school. At the time of Pope John Paul II’ second visit to Australia for the beatification of Mary MacKillop, it seemed fitting for this strong woman of faith to be chosen as our school’s patron. Her life’s motto of “Faith and Service” seemed to capture the spirit and vision of the people of faith under the leadership of Fr Peter Greene.
That legacy and the witness of St Mary Mother of the Cross have continued to shape our school’s unique spiritual identity.
Our School Prayer
Dear God,
We thank you for the example of Saint Mary of the Cross, MacKillop, who cared about each person and who faced life’s problems with faith and courage.
We ask your blessing for our families, our school and ourselves. We pray through you, Saint Mary of the Cross, for help in our lives and your help in our needs.
We make this prayer through Jesus, our Lord.
Amen
