Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed six new saints, including an Australian nun and a Canadian brother, calling them "shining examples" of holiness and the power of prayer.
Thousands of pilgrims from Australia applauded and waved their national flags after the Pope pronounced the formula of canonisation in St Peter's Square for Blessed Mother Mary MacKillop, who educated poor children in the Australian outback in the late 19th century. She became the country's first saint.
In his homily, Pope Benedict said Mary MacKillop (1842-1909) was a model of "zeal, perseverance and prayer" as she dedicated herself to the education of the poor in the difficult territory of rural Australia, inspiring other women to join her in the country's first community of religious women.
