The idea of exploring the life of Mary MacKillop in New South Wales came from the members of the Mary MacKillop Committee.
To them, my grateful thanks..
Sister Marie Therese Foale rsj gave of her time and considerable talents as an author to help to bring the work to a conclusion.
I wish to acknowledge the assistance given by Mr Gary Hayes who read the original draft of this work and gave many helpful suggestions.
We thank God for them and dedicate this work to their memory.
All of them laboured to teach and strengthen the catholic faith wherever they lived and worked.
This work is a story of heroism, not only on the part of Mary, but also on the part of those pioneer sisters and the generous people who supported them.
Hence the title, One Door Closes Another Opens.
When Mary MacKillop and her sisters withdrew from Queensland at the end of 1879, they were welcomed into New South Wales by Archbishop Vaughan of Sydney and Bishop Torreggiani of Armidale.
The Bathurststory has been well told by Dr Marie Crowley in her notable work Women of the Vale which is highly recommended to readers.
The withdrawal of Mary MacKillop\'s sisters from Bathurst in 1876 closed their work there but it also saw the birth of a diocesan congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph under Bishop Quinn.
All this was for the glory of her good God and for his children and to bring the message of his love and mercy to people in these isolated places.
She journeyed by every known conveyance then available, in every kind of weather, often enduring snow, torrents of rain, blazing sun and heat and very often suffering poor health.
Mary visited the sisters, supported, encouraged, and assisted them in their work for God and his people.
These pioneer sisters were sent, too, to far flung towns and villages throughout New South Wales in the Dioceses of Sydney and Armidale, both of which encompassed huge areas.
This book, One Door Closes Another Opens, aims to tell of the endeavours of Mary MacKillop in spreading the Gospel, sending out her sisters to care for and educate the neglected children in the poorest areas of the city of Sydney, particularly the slum areas around the part known as The Rocks on the shores of Sydney Harbour.
Bridie O\'Connell\'s reflection on the final years of Mary MacKillop\'s life provides a fitting conclusion to the story.
Research for these years had been undertaken by Lynette Raftery rsj, Barbara White rsj and Clare Burgess rsj and I have added my own research.
Several sisters were active in researching and recording the years 1880-1909 and I was asked to bring this to fruition.
The idea of exploring the life of Mary MacKillop in New South Wales came from the members of the Mary MacKillop Committee
