How did Mary Magdalene become a saint?

The Church has to follow a process which involves looking at the person's life, actions, reactions to the events of life, what others wrote and said about the person and what the person wrote or said - the result of a great amount of historical research. The Church also looks at continuing devotion - after the person died, was the memory kept alive in the faith of the people?

Following the panel of Cardinals and medical experts positive outcome of the first miracle under examination and subsequent recommendation to the Pope, Mary MacKillop was beatified on 19 January 1995 thus becoming Australia's first saint.

When the second miracle that is being examined in Rome has been recognised, Mary will become a saint for the universal Church and her feast day will be included in the universal calendar and liturgy and prayers may be universally used.