Archbishop of Sydney

St. Mary’s Cathedral Youth Mass

Mass to honour Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified
Gen 18:1-10; Lk 10:38-42

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
18 July 2004

As we remember Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified in a special way in this evening’s Mass, we welcome particularly the Croatian-Australian community and two of Blessed Mary’s nuns, the Daughters of Mercy, from the convent at Blato, Korcula, an island off the Croatian coast in the Adriatic.

The readings today recount a couple of acts of hospitality and kindness, one from the Old Testament account of Abraham and Sarah welcoming three guests, sometimes described as angels, sometimes seen as intimations of the Blessed Trinity.  The second such account tells of Mary and Martha welcoming Jesus and Martha complaining that Mary had left her to do all the work, while she prepared the meal.  To this very day individual women can be tagged as a Mary or a Martha, someone who would be sure to offer and prepare you a cup of tea.

These two basic examples of backdrop for a twentieth century Croatian woman who put into practice the New Testament teachings on faith, prayer and service.

The beatified founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mercy, Mary (Marija) of Jesus Crucified, was born in the village of Blato on the island of Korcula on 10 December, 1892, to prosperous parents, Marija and Antun Petkovic Kovac.  She was the sixth of eleven children.  At the age of fourteen, on 21 November, 1906 she took a vow of perpetual chastity.  Although frail and frequently ill, Marija led three religious associations in her native Blato and provided catechesis and instruction to the children of the families whose parents worked on her father’s estate.  Although her parents were devout Catholics they did not encourage her religious vocation.  Later too she continued to encounter opposition.

From 1909 to 1919 Marija was president of the Daughters of Mary and the Good Shepherd Association of 20 young women who visited the sick, prepared children for First Communion and made reparation for sins.  She was also active with Catholic mothers and helping at a soup kitchen.  In March 1919 she entered the local convent of the Servants of Charity, but 2 months later they returned to Italy.  She and 2 companions stayed on in the Blato convent.

On the Feast of St. Francis, 4 October, 1920 with encouragement from Bishop Marcelic, she established the Congregation of the Daughters of Mercy, to spread knowledge of divine love and mercy through charitable acts.  At her investiture, she received the name of Mary of Jesus Crucified and was chosen as the mother superior of the order.  In a dilapidated and cramped house near the parish church of Blato they began work.

In the beginning the nuns in Blato cared for three hundred poor children and also helped many orphans and widows.  When they had exhausted their own funds, Marija went to Slavonia and Vojvodina on several occasions to solicit help for the orphans.  She also received a donation from Pope Pius XI.  In 1923, Marija took over the care of children in the Kolevka Children’s Home in Subotica, after which she opened numerous centres for children in Slavonia, Vojvodina, Macedonia and Serbia.

The Congregation of the Daughters of Mercy expanded its activity to Argentina, where the nuns worked in kindergartens and schools as well as with sick children.  Marija lived in Latin America from 1940 to 1952.  Today in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile and Uruguay, there are approximately 250 nuns of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mercy.  In 1952, Marija went to Rome, where in the centre of the city she purchased the headquarters for the Congregation.

In 1961 after 40 years, Marija relinquished the office of mother superior but continued to follow the events in the Church and Congregation, especially those brought about by the Second Vatican Council.  She was particularly engaged in the veneration of God the Father and His Mercy.  She had opened 46 communities while she was alive “If I had money’” she said, “I would trust in money, but (without it) I trust only in God”.

Marija died on 9 July, 1966 and was buried in the Roman cemetery of Campo Verano.  Later, her earthly remains were translated to the house chapel of the Congregation headquarters, where they remained until 1998 when they were translated to her native Blato and buried in the crypt of the monastery chapel of Christ the King.

Today the Congregation of the Daughters of Mercy has approximately 450 members, who are active on three continents in 12 countries.  The nuns are especially devoted to the care and education of children and young people, catechesis, the care of the elderly, ill and helpless, missions and parish pastoral activity.

She was beatified by the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II in Dubrovnik on 6 June, 2003.  Her spiritual testament to her sisters was “Love infinitely the most sweet Lord Jesus Christ; do everything for him alone and spend your life in works of mercy and love.”

This evening we thank God for the presence of the Croatian community in the Catholic Church in Sydney, for their lively faith, energy and enthusiasm.

Their suffering in Croatia over many years has been borne with faith and courage.  Suffering in faith often means that personal faith itself is deepened, seen to be precious and life-giving, not an optional extra.  This has happened.

We pray that this lively tradition of faith and service continues to flourish among us in Sydney, strengthening the faith here far outside the boundaries of the Croatian-Australian community.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.