Pupils in years 0 to 8, with teachers, parents and parishioners, packed St Patrick's Church, in Arrowtown, for the hour-long service.
Through singing, dancing, acting and presenting drawings, the children told the story of Mother Mary (1842 to 1909) and her establishment of a school and mission in Arrowtown from 1897.
They were joined by two representatives of St Mary's order, Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart.
Provincial leader of New Zealand Sr Colleen Keeble, of Auckland, and Sr Jill McLoughlin, of Christchurch, were among the 140 sisters who attended Mother Mary's canonisation at the Vatican, on October 17.
Sr Colleen told the children that if St Mary of the Cross stepped through the doors of St Patrick's today, she might give them the messages "Do your bit, listen in our hearts to God's word from teachers and parents, have an attitude of gratitude and never see a need without doing something about it".
Arrowtown community celebrations continue today with a walk from the Lakes District Museum, at 1.30pm, to St Mary's cottage beside St Patrick's Church.
St Joseph's School pupils will dress in period clothes in a re-enactment of the Victorian school classes taught by Mother Mary and the sisterhood, beside the cottage, at 3pm.
Parishioners attending Sunday Mass from near and far will be welcomed at a function at St Patrick's Cottage, today, between 4pm and 6pm.
Tomorrow, the Queenstown and Southern Lakes Highland Pipe Band will lead a procession from St Patrick's, at 10.30am, to the Arrowtown Athenaeum Hall, for a special Mass presided by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, the Most Rev Colin Campbell, at 11am.
