ADELAIDE Archbishop Philip Wilson has hatched a plan to have a statue of St Mary MacKillop installed in the Vatican.
Archbishop Wilson has already identified the perfect spot outside St Peter's Basilica for Australia's first and only saint.
The challenge is now to ensure it doesn't get snapped up by someone else.
"The one I want is only a small niche," Archbishop Wilson said. "But I picked the position because if you are walking up towards the Basilica, you can actually see it through the gate. It is like real estate - it is all location, location, location. When they built St Peter's Basilica 400 years ago, on the outside of the building they put all these niches for statues. It is only in the last 20 years they have starting placing statues there. So these statues are now appearing everywhere. I want to get one of her in there before we miss out."
Archbishop Wilson has consulted the Postulator for St Mary MacKillop, Sr Maria Casey, and has had preliminary discussions about the process and requirements.
He will make further inquiries when he returns to Rome this week.
This includes what material can be used, whether there is freedom to choose the artist and style, as well as the costs involved.
This includes what material can be used, whether there is freedom to choose the artist and style, as well as the costs involved.
"I think there is no problem with getting permission to do it, the big issue that we're trying to find out about is all the other things you have got to go through to have the statue made," he said.
"We're working on it, but what I'm worried about is we're going to lose our position (at the Vatican). But even if that happens there are plenty of other places we can put it. Sister Maria has put me in touch with the Marist Brothers involved in the installation of a statue of their founder, St Marcellin Champagnat. This should help me to work out the best way to approach the matter in Rome."
St Mary was canonised in a public ceremony in the Vatican in October last year.
Archbishop Wilson played a key role in the ceremony and he was the first person to call Mary MacKillop a saint in English during her canonisation.