The cause for sainthood for Australian-born doctor and missionary in India Mary Glowrey has advanced after Pope Leo XIV recognised her ‘heroic virtues’ late last year.
Venerable Mary of the Sacred Heart Glowrey, as she will now be titled, is only the second Australian, after St Mary Mackillop, to be accorded this status.
Melbourne Archbishop Peter A Comensoli, expressed “deep joy” at the news.
“A proud daughter of Melbourne, Venerable Mary of the Sacred Heart Glowrey was a trailblazer – one of our early female doctors – before answering the call to serve in India,” he said.
“Her healing hands, her compassion, and her bold spirit were a living sign of God’s tenderness. May her example and intercession continue to inspire Aussies and people everywhere to live lives of service and holiness.”
Born in the Victorian town of Birregurra in 1887, Glowrey was an experienced doctor in Melbourne hospitals and private practice. In 1919, aged 32, she travelled to India and entered religious life in Guntur, located in present day Andhra Pradesh, where she was known as Sr Mary of the Sacred Heart JMJ.
For the next 37 years, Mary dedicated her life to caring for marginalised women and children by providing medical treatment and establishing healthcare facilities, training programs, and support networks.
In 1943, she founded what is now India’s largest non-government healthcare network, the Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI).
She died in Bangalore (Bengaluru) in 1957. Her cause was initiated in India by the Bishop of Guntur, where she spent much of her life.
Prior to her time spent in India, Venerable Mary of the Sacred Heart Glowrey was the founding president of the Catholic Women’s League of Victoria and Wagga Wagga.
Current president, Jane Munro, said Glowrey’s faith and selfless dedication have inspired many for more than a century.
“We hope more people come to know about Mary Glowrey’s life and legacy and we invite everyone to view the Archdiocesan webpage about her or arrange to visit the Mary Glowrey Museum in Fitzroy,” she said.
Archbishop Comensoli encouraged the faithful across Australia and beyond to keep her cause for canonisation in prayer.
“May the day come when the Church names her Saint Mary of the Sacred Heart,” he said. “May she pray for us and help us walk ever more closely with Christ.”
Pope Leo’s decree marks the second major step in the formal process toward sainthood, signifying that the Church has officially found evidence of a life marked by extraordinary virtue. The next phase, beatification, will require the approval of a miracle attributed to her intercession.