Where were you on October 17 2010?

It seems most "dyed in the merino wool" Catholics were glued to their TV sets, watching the coverage of the canonisation of Mary MacKillop.

I dropped by the show at the Cathedral of St Stephen in Brisbane but left sadly wondering about the fascination of Catholicism with pomp and circumstance. The MacKillop bazaar was doing a roaring trade complete with celebrity pics of our Mary (no, not the Danish One) Rosary beads with Mary's head and everything except MacKillop condoms available for the devotees.

The best commentary I have read to date is from Mark Bahnisch: Both atheist ‘rationalism’ and Catholic triumphalism betray Mary MacKillop’s legacy

The highlight of my day was actually the Queensland Launch of Anti-Poverty Week held at Musgrave Park in West End.

The locals came along for a BBQ and some music from those who know the journey from poverty to community. Agencies had their banners, the Salvos offered free Fair Trade coffee and Vinnies and Red Cross worked together to prepare the snags and the banquet.

The numbers weren't big. Challenging structures that leave people in poverty isn't good news on a warm Sunday in Brisbane. I noticed that none of the local Churches had a presence and it probably wasn't fair to expect any religious orders to come along to something that wasn't about the vow of poverty.