Crack open the Buble, it’s time to hail Mary BY DONNA SHARPE 13 Oct, 2010

If you passed a white stretch Hummer yesterday with Michael Buble blaring at 120 decibels it wasn’t a group of teenagers off to their end-of-year formal.

In fact it was seven nuns on their way to Sydney airport, to catch a flight bound for Rome and the canonisation of Australia’s first saint, Mary MacKillop.

They departed St Joseph’s Convent at Lochinvar yesterday afternoon in style courtesy of Arrive First Class Hummers and Helicopters, a Hamilton-based business owned by Sister Helen-Anne Johnson’s nephew Jonathon Stephenson.

‘‘It just made it easier for everyone to travel together rather than take three separate cars,’’ Sister Helen-Anne’s travel companion Sister Ellen Royan said.

‘‘And it is a way of reducing our carbon footprint.’’

The sisters were joined yesterday by sisters Jenny Riley, Marie Hughes, Anne Rabbitt, Clare McCudden and Dorothy Dolahenty.

There were tears and hugs, kisses and well wishes and chants of ‘‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie,’’ as the sisters were helped into the Hummer to the sounds of Michael Buble.

‘‘This really is a celebration and I feel very privileged, excited and honoured to be going,’’ Sister Helen-Anne said.

The sisters were selected to travel to Rome for the historic event after the Maitland/Newcastle Catholic Diocese announced funding for six participants.

The sisters departed late last night and will be followed today by four students and two teachers from All Saints College St Joseph’s Campus.

‘‘This mode of travel is a far cry from Cobb and Co. Coaches Mary MacKillop travelled in,’’ Sister Ellen said.

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