On 14 March Bishop Shane Mackinlay unveiled and blessed statues of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and St Francis of Assisi at the interfaith Peace Park in the grounds of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Maiden Gully.

The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion is a pilgrimage place for Buddhists from around the world. It aims to provide a refuge of peace and serenity for all. The Peace Park is dedicated to interfaith harmony and the statues of these two Saints standing side-by-side in newly created stone grottos represent the shared values of Catholicism and Tibetan Buddhism.

Ian Green, Chairman and Director of the Great Stupa, said, “The installation of these two great figures in the Peace Park is a powerful symbol of faith and unity. It is our hope that this installation not only reflects the rich Catholic heritage of Australia but also fosters a spirit of interfaith dialogue and peace."

Sr Monica Cavanagh, from the Sisters of Saint Joseph, spoke of the life of St Mary MacKillop and her persistence in the face of adversity. She said that Mary had instilled in her Sisters the values of unity, harmony, peace and forgiveness, and was therefore, making Mary a good fit for the Peace Park.

Before unveiling the statues with Sr Monica, and later blessing them, Bishop Shane spoke about the compassion of Jesus exemplified in a visceral distress at people’s suffering and pain – "It is that type of compassion that we are called to model," he said, linking to the shared virtue of compassion in Christianity and Buddhism. During the Blessing Rite, Bishop Shane prayed that all who look upon the image of Mary MacKillop in the Peace Park may be inspired by her faith, encouraged by her example, and strengthened in their own journey of discipleship. And that her spirit of kindness and unwavering trust in God’s providence fill our hearts and guide our actions.

Fr Andrew Fewings also took part in the proceedings and a prayer of blessing was chanted by Buddhist nuns from Machig Labdron, the Buddhist Nunnery next to the Great Stupa.

The restored statue of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the environment and animals, was unveiled and blessed on the day, but is not new to the Great Stupa grounds. In fact, it was the first item to be placed in the Peace Park and was originally unveiled and blessed by Bishop Leslie Tomlinson in May 2018. Due to some deterioration of the paint work, the statue was repaired and painted by Great Stupa resident artist, Lucy Wang, and now takes its place alongside St Mary MacKillop.

The Peace Park is dedicated to interfaith harmony and the promotion of peace. It honours many world faiths with representations of Hinduism, Judaism, Sikhism, Baháʼí, Islam, and Indigenous cultures, and of course the Catholic Church represented by St Francis of Assisi and St Mary MacKillop of the Cross.

Return to Sandpiper e-News 96 (28 March 2025).