Rotorua's Catholic community is preparing to celebrate the canonisation of Mother Mary MacKillop, who worshipped at St Michael's Church.
She will be canonised at Vatican City on Sunday. She will then be known as St Mary Of The Cross.
The canonisation will be a mass celebration for Australian and Rotorua residents with
St Mary's and St Michael's churches coming together.
Sister Carina, a Josephite Sister, left for Italy yesterday with Ioane Tefono, Bishop Denis Browne, Bridie Anderson and Bev Simpkins.
St Mary's and St Michael's Joint Parish Council chairman Joe Kilkelly said it was a momentous occasion.
"It's very important to have representatives of Rotorua there because of the historic connection Sister Mary had with Rotorua," Mr Kilkelly said.
"The sainthood means people can use her to intercede on their behalf by praying to her for what they need from God.
"I think she is an example that someone who has walked these streets can be confirmed as a saint."
Mr Kilkelly said thousands of people in Rotorua over the years would have had a connection to Mother Mary, particularly as Catholic education was started in the city by the nun in 1902.
That school began at St Michael's Church.
The two parishes have pulled together for prayers on Saturday and a mass on Sunday.
The Bishops Conference has directed all New Zealand parishes hold Masses of Mary MacKillop to celebrate the sainthood.
At 12pm on Sunday, a marble statue of Our Lady will be unveiled at John Paul College, the site of the former girls' school MacKillop College.
The statue is dedicated to the memory of Sister Mary with her own description of Jesus' mother as "my most tender Mother".
Mr Kilkelly said he hoped lots of people would take part in the celebrations.
A piece of her original coffin will be on display at St Michael's at Mass, along with her photo.
Mother Mary's first miracle was in the 1950s when a woman recovered after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Her second miracle, decreed by the Vatican last year, involved the healing of a woman with inoperable cancer during the mid-1990s after she prayed to Mother Mary.
Sky TV will have full coverage of the canonisation on Sky News (Channel 90) from 6pm Sunday. There will also be a documentary on Sunday called Blessed Mary: A Saint For All on the History Channel (Channel 73) at 11.30am, 8.30pm and 3.50am Monday.
