Her acknowledgement as a bona fide saint this week by the Vatican is the culmination of many years of hard work by the Catholic Church in Australia and will be celebrated by the faithful.

The significance for all South Australians is that the story of the poor girl who grew up with a mission to provide education to the poor and underprivileged will be recognised internationally by the faithful and millions of others.

It is a story of rebellious passion, a woman prepared to forgo her family, friends and even be excommunicated from her faith, for her dream.

Hundreds of thousands of Australian children have benefited from the ongoing vision of Mary MacKillop through the provision of affordable education by the Josephite nuns, the order she founded to work among the poor. Singles mothers, victims of domestic violence and orphans have benefited, and continue to do so.

Her recognition provides an inspiration to all Australians, just as the separation of Bangladeshi conjoined twins Trishna and Krishna recently has created a sense of achievement and goodwill, which cannot be measured in dollars.

There are thousands of children who need medical help; there are many stories of historic pioneering women struggling in rural Australia.

It is impossible to help or recognise all cases. The elevation of some instances to the national arena and the publicity that follows can be a reminder of similar causes.

Few of Australia’s pioneering women have been adequately recognised, so, religious or not, reading of the life of Mary MacKillop enriches our national pride and hope and gives us another insight into the nature of sacrifice, purpose and vision.