Despite cultural change and moves away from the sectarianism of early- and mid-20th century Australia, conversion to Catholicism today is not a “cost-free transaction,” just as it wasn’t in the lifetime of high-profile convert, Catherine Mackerras.
The ACU’s PM Glynn Institute this past week launched The Divided Heart of Catherine Mackerras by Australian biographer Dr Patrick Mullins, detailing the social, personal and societal experiences of Mackerras’s conversion from Presbyterianism to Catholicism in the 1930s.
Her conversion came at a time when the Protestant faith—with which her family was culturally associated—dictated her social class and upbringing.
Mackerras’ husband never agreed with her conversion, which plagued much of their marriage and role as parents to seven children.
Through Mackerras’ story, Dr Mullins’ book provides insights into Australia’s history, the role of women in society, changes to education and explores the dimensions of class, belonging, religion and values in the life of one convert.
Dr Mullins was joined by Deputy Director of the Sydney Institute, Anne Henderson AM, and CEO of Catholic Schools NSW, Dallas McInerney, to discuss Mackerras’ experiences and how they resemble the Catholicism of our 21st century.
Henderson noted the prevalence of sectarianism after the first world war in and around the time of Mackerras’ conversion, dictated by the politically charged Protestantism of the British Empire.
“So she starts to challenge the roots of her cultural faith through the contradiction that you can’t believe in an eternal empire,” Anne said.
This meant Catherine’s conversion wouldn’t have been popular in her circles, just as unpopular as it may be today.
“It would not have been a cost-free transaction for her in this time, clearly it wasn’t [back then],” Dallas said.
“She wasn’t going up the social ladder with her decision.
“Tony Blair, for example, as I understand it, was keen to convert before he did, but out of respect for his oaths of office and the statutes and the connection with the Church of England, didn’t do it until after he left, and almost immediately after he left.”
However, he did note a certain “celebrity renaissance around Catholicism” currently emerging, empowered by strong Catholic social movements headed by influencers like US Bishop Robert Barron.
“It’s almost cool to be a Catholic again, now,” McInerney said.
Henderson also attributed the importance of culture to Mackerras and a private yearning, compared to her own mother’s Catholic conversion in her 20s.
“She kept on trying to find out why she was interested in being in the community that she eventually joined. And I think there was even that with Catherine,” Henderson said.
That cultural difference Henderson believes is most prominent with the rise of immigration.
“Part of the culture, if you look at the immigration, is actually religion,” she said.
“[But] when Catherine was converting she was really walking into a minefield, in a way. It didn’t wreck her marriage, but she certainly lost the bond with her husband that she had.”
Mackerras’ convictions, however damaging to her personal and social circles, found satisfaction in belonging to the church and its traditions—similar to what many Catholics in the 21st century have likewise found attractive.
“It was a desire to belong to the same group of people who seemed satisfied and who seemed drawn to that church, to share in the kind of feelings that they had something she could never otherwise have satisfied elsewhere,” said Dr Mullins.
Attending the launch also were Mackerras’ three remaining children, Malcolm, Colin and Elisabeth.
While his parents never saw eye to eye, Malcolm described his parents as both “very, very conservative. Mum in a Catholic way, Dad in a British way.”
Malcolm said his mother’s hope was that Catholic primary education would lead them to be good Catholics.
Though only two of the seven children were initially baptised, her influence meant more than five of her children were led to the faith.
“All three of us here tonight owe our existence to our mother’s conversion to the Catholic Church. I think that’s quite big,” said Malcolm.