The canonisation of Mary MacKillop will be a tribute to the Catholic Church and an honour for Australia, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.
Australia's long wait for its first saint is likely to end within hours, with a decision on the canonisation expected from the Vatican.
Pope Benedict XVI will meet with cardinals and bishops in Rome on Friday, with an announcement expected at about 2.30pm local time (0030 AEDT on Saturday).
Mr Rudd said Mother Mary's hard work in education and the Catholic church had now finally been rewarded. "This is a great, great tribute to the Catholic church and a great, great tribute to her hard work in education," he said on Friday. "This is a great honour for Australia.
"I offer a heartfelt expression of appreciation to the wider Catholic community."
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Born in Fitzroy, Melbourne in 1842, Mother Mary dedicated her life to helping the poor and needy.
In 1866 she founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph having previously opened a school in a disused stable in Penola, South Australia.
Her life thereafter was spent opening orphanages and refuges.
She maintained her faith and dedication to helping people throughout her life, despite a backlash from Catholic church leaders and suffering ill health for many years, until her death in Sydney in 1909.
