Cause toward sainthood advances as Pope raises Mary Glowrey to Venerable
The cause for sainthood for Australian-born doctor and missionary in India Mary Glowrey has advanced after Pope Leo recognised her "heroic virtues" on 21 November 2025. Venerable Mary of the Sacred Heart Glowrey, as she will now be titled, is just the second Australian, after St Mary MacKillop, to be accorded this status.
Born in the Victorian town of Birregurra in 1887, Mary Glowrey was an experienced doctor in Melbourne hospitals and private practice when she travelled to India, aged 32, and entered religious life in Guntur, in present day Andhra Pradesh. She spent 37 years in service to marginalised women and children.
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. 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 Australians and people everywhere to live lives of service and holiness.
Mary Glowrey completed her secondary and tertiary education in Melbourne through scholarships, graduating from the University of Melbourne in 1910 (MBBS) and 1919 (MD).
She joined a Dutch religious congregation in India in 1920. Known as Sr Mary of the Sacred Heart JMJ, she dedicated her life to caring for marginalised women and children in India 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.
Glowrey’s cause was initiated in India by the Bishop of Guntur, where she spent much of her life. It continues to be supported by the Congregation of Jesus Mary Joseph, the religious society to which she belonged.
Her healing hands, her compassion, and her bold spirit were a living sign of God’s tenderness.
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.
Mary Glowrey’s story has been remembered and shared in Australia by her family and by members of the organisation of which she was the first president when it was formed in Melbourne in 1916, now known as the Catholic Women’s League of Victoria and Wagga Wagga. Current president Jane Munro said Mary 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. We invite everyone to visit the Mary Glowrey Museum in Fitzroy.
Melbourne Archbishop Peter 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."
Quick facts - the Venerable Mary of the Sacred Heart Glowrey
- Born in Birregurra, Victoria 23 June 1887; died in Bangalore (Bengaluru) India 5 May 1957.
- Graduated from University of Melbourne MBBS 1910, MD 1919.
- Medical positions in Melbourne included those at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne and a private practice in Collins Street.
- Left Australia on 21 January 1920 and travelled to Guntur, in present day Andhra Pradesh. Never returned to Australia.
- Joined the Society of Jesus Mary Joseph (now called the Congregation of Jesus Mary Joseph) in Guntur, India in 1920.
- As a religious sister known as Sr Mary of the Sacred Heart JMJ.
References
The woman who changed the lives of millions
The birthday of Mary Glowrey
www.melbournecatholic.org/maryglowrey
www.maryglowreymuseum.info
Original material by Melbourne Catholic