The psalmist this Sunday praises the Lord for having done “wondrous deeds.” Many saints have been lauded for remarkable deeds as well, but few if any are known to have exposed clerical sex abuse—until this week. A new documentary brings to light that Australia's Mother Mary MacKillop (1842-1909), to be canonized October 17, was briefly excommunicated after having blown the whistle on abusive priests.

MacKillop, the founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph, who now have thousands of women in their communities across Australia, heard disturbing reports of priests sexually abusing children in the Kapunda parish in the diocese of Adelaide in south Australia, according to the documentary on Australia’s ABC Compass station.

MacKillop and her sisters informed Father Julian Tenison-Woods, cofounder the Josephites, of their concerns, which were then reported to the diocesan vicar-general. One of the abusive priests, Father Patrick Keating, was sent back to his native Ireland, where he continued to serve as a priest.

The whistleblowers apparently so angered Keating’s colleague Father Charles Horan that he vowed revenge and used his influence over Adelaide Bishop Laurence Sheil to have MacKillop excommunicated.

In 1871, after only four years as a nun, MacKillop was turned out onto the street with no money and nowhere to go—a bit like one of the outcast lepers we read about in this Sunday’s readings.

Perhaps recalling the God of justice praised by the psalmist this Sunday, however, Sheil revoked the punishment on his death bed some five months later.

After being reinstated by the Catholic Church, MacKillop became known for her work with disadvantaged children, female ex-prisoners, and prostitutes. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1995. After her canonization October 17, she will be known as Saint Mary of the Cross.

A statement from the Sisters of St. Joseph has confirmed that the documentary’s reports are “consistent with” the extensive studies that have been done of the event.

In a column commenting on the revelations, Father James Martin, S.J. wrote: “Now victims of sex abuse and their families, and all who desire reconciliation and healing in the church, can pray to Mary MacKillop, who understands them perhaps better than any other saint. Perhaps it is providential that she walks back onto the world’s stage again.”

Source: Articles by DailyMail.com.uk, Ecumenical News International, Father James Martin, S.J. for The Huffington Post, CathNews.com.au, and ABC.net.au