Congregation of Jesus Mary Joseph
(JMJ)
01 Oct 2026 - 31 Oct 2026
The remarkable missionary journey of Dr. Mary Glowrey, the Medical Apostle of India, began through a series of providential encounters. What started as a gentle divine touch gradually unfolded into a courageous vocation of healing and service in India.
24 October 1915 became a decisive day in Mary Glowrey’s life. While deeply engaged in medical service in Melbourne, especially attending to the increased needs caused by the world war, she experienced a call to religious life. On the feast of St. Raphael, the “Physician of God,” celebrated as “Hospital Sunday” in Melbourne, she attended Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. During the homily, Fr. William Lockington, SJ, quoted Scripture: “Honour the physician for the need thou hast of him” (Sir 38:1). The Word touched her deeply. She visited her medical practice rooms in Collins Street, where she found a pamphlet sent by Fr. Donal A. Reidy, a former curate in Watchem, the town where she had lived as a girl. It contained the story of Dr. Agnes McLaren, whose mission for women in India led Mary to conclude that God was calling her there.
In 1916, Fr. Reidy sent her a copy of the Jesuit publication America, containing a letter from Archbishop John Aelen of Madras to Dr. Paluel Joseph Flagg, founder of the Catholic Medical Mission Board in New York. The Archbishop appealed for the training of medical women, who were desperately needed in India. Mary shared the letter with Fr. Lockington, her spiritual director. His enquiries received a simple but powerful response from the Archbishop: “Come.” In a subsequent letter, he spoke of the Sisters of the Society of Jesus Mary Joseph, whom he had brought from Holland to provide medical care to Indian women.
Convinced of her call and after prayerful discernment, Mary Glowrey responded with courage. Leaving her homeland, she embraced India as her adopted country and dedicated herself to the sick and suffering. She served women and families in cities and remote villages, sometimes travelling by bullock cart, caring for their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. She also trained Indian women in nursing, helping to lay the foundations of Catholic healthcare and medical education in India.
Image courtesy: https://maryglowrey.org.au
Dr. Mary Glowrey’s journey reminds us that when we listen attentively to God’s invitation and respond with courage, it paves the way for a life-giving mission. Her story is a testimony of a woman who heard the cry of women, recognised God’s call within, and transformed that call into a lasting legacy of healing, service and mission.
Sr. Kochumary Chellakudam
Vice-postulator
Cause of Canonization of Venerable Mary Glowrey