OVER cups of tea and homemade treats, ex-prime minister Kevin Rudd came to know Mary MacKillop's story through nuns in her order.
Mr Rudd opened up about the quiet visits he made to the convent of the Sisters of Saint Joseph at Kirribilli as he prepared to fly to Rome for the canonisation of a woman he described as a "beacon" for people around the world.
Mr Rudd, who is Catholic but attends an Anglican Church, also revealed that he carries an image of Australia's first saint in his wallet.
As prime minister, Mr Rudd said Kirribilli House was just a 10-minute walk from the Josephites' convent.
Mary started the Josephite order in 1866 and her nuns have been crucial in securing her canonisation.
"They are a wonderful bunch of human beings and a wonderful order of nuns and we got into long conversations about Mary MacKillop's life and the good work she did," Mr Rudd said.
"I'd just call around for a cup of tea and a chat, a very normal Australian thing to do. They are always very friendly, lots of home baking when you go to visit the nuns.
"I regard them all as good friends and they carry on very much the spirit of Mary MacKillop today."
Mr Rudd said that Mary's work should serve as an inspiration for every Australian.
"If you look at the life of Mary MacKillop, whether you are Catholic or non-Catholic or a non-believer, the bottom line is she put others first and herself last and she was drawn to that as a vocation for her life," he said.
"She gave that practical effect in the field of education. She stood out and stands out as a beacon for people everywhere in Australia and around the world."
These quiet meetings with the nuns took Mr Rudd from Kirribilli to the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. The pair had already spoken about Mary MacKillop when they first met during World Youth Day in Sydney in 2008.
"We discussed then the efforts under way by the Sisters of Saint Joseph to seek Mary MacKillop's canonisation. The Pope was very interested in the life of Mary MacKillop and was very familiar with it," Mr Rudd said of the first meeting in Sydney. Soon after, Mr Rudd appointed the former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer as ambassador to the Holy See.
Mr Rudd said the canonisation of Mary MacKillop was a matter for the Catholic Church but, when he was in Italy for a meeting of world leaders last year, he again met with the Pope.
"I took the opportunity to call on the Pope. The Sisters of Saint Joseph had asked me to convey to the Pope their excitement about the possibility of Mary MacKillop's canonisation, so I did so," Mr Rudd said.
Mr Rudd was raised a Catholic but now attends an Anglican Church with his wife Therese Rein.
His acceptance of communion at Mary MacKillop Chapel last year sparked controversy.
"I certainly grew up as a Catholic, the only reason I go to Anglican Church is because my wife is Anglican," he said.
"For me denominational questions have never been terribly important, so I have maintained close connection with Christians of all sorts of denominational affiliations. The most important thing is whether people are of faith, that they are serious about their faith and what they try to do with their lives.
"That's where I think Mary MacKillop's life stands out and I think also the fact she was a lady of genuine courage who, when necessary, rebelled against authority in order to deliver justice to the poor."
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