Tag: Catherine Mackerras

Catherine Mackerras was the mother of seven children. Her conversion to the Catholic church in 1932 shocked her husband and shook their marriage. As Patrick Mullins has written in his new book "The Divided Heart of Catherine Mackerras," she was stuck between curiosity and revulsion at the Catholic faith at a time when the British Empire was in transition.

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. 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.