It’s been 68 years since the death of Dr Sr Mary Glowrey, the world’s first sister-doctor and the second Australian to be officially considered for sainthood. Having worked as a doctor in Melbourne for almost a decade, Mary took a leap of faith and headed to India where for 37 years she oversaw the medical care of hundreds of thousands of people. Today, the Mary Glowrey Museum in Fitzroy—just metres away from where Mary lived, worked and was a parishioner—continues to share her captivating story with the community.
Born and educated in Victoria, Mary was a Melbourne doctor when she left for Guntur, India in 1920 to serve the needs of marginalised people, particularly women and children. During her time in India, she established healthcare facilities, training and networks that continue to benefit millions today.
Mary’s life, work and legacy are all available to explore at the Mary Glowrey Museum, which opened in 2017 and regularly hosts visiting groups from schools, parishes and the wider community.
The museum is a recipient of the latest round of grants from the Archbishop’s Charitable Fund (ACF), which will go towards ensuring Mary’s life and legacy continues to be told in new and creative ways.
‘All the Museum’s offerings are based on research drawn from the Mary Glowrey Collection, an archive of letters, curios and other documents,’ explains Museum curator Fiona Power.
‘The grant has supported work to organise and conserve items in the Collection, and to research and provide accurate information for our presentations and as part of the canonisation process.’
The grant has also assisted in the work to develop digital material based on the Collection. These continue to be incorporated into new resources for presentations and tours and, Fiona says, are tailored to maximise interest and accessibility for each of the visiting groups.
‘All presentations, tours and publications are directed at developing a deeper appreciation of Mary’s life and her motivation, as well as her material and spiritual legacy,’ says Fiona. ‘We plan to provide more publications and accurate online information about Mary Glowrey.’
One of the museum’s most utilised resources is the Catholic Precinct App, a free downloadable app that offers users—students, pilgrims and tourists alike—a snapshot of the East Melbourne area that Mary lived and worked in. The ACF grant has and will continue to enable updates to be made to this important resource.
‘The museum developed the Catholic Precinct App to support knowledge of and access to the area surrounding St Patrick’s Cathedral in East Melbourne - places in which Mary Glowrey lived, worked and prayed,’ shared Fiona.
‘While Mary Glowrey’s life and character were extraordinary, her story has an authenticity and relatability, particularly for Australians,’ she says. ‘Our work at the Museum creates opportunities for people to learn more about, and make connections with, her story. People of all ages tell us that they are inspired by Mary’s selflessness, dedication and faith, as well as the obstacles she overcame.’
As Mary’s fellow religious Sr Assumptia Van Ray JMJ wrote in 1932:
‘Sr Mary … is unselfish and self-sacrificing. I compare her to a lighthouse which spreads its light a very great distance, while the house itself remains in darkness. And so it is with our good Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, she always keeps in the background, while she spreads the light of her good deeds over a very great distance. She is the good physician, who heals the wounds of body and soul of many a wandering soul.’
The Archbishop’s Charitable Fund (ACF) supports Catholic community agencies and community service organisations that provide essential charitable works to promote the welfare of others and effect positive change by overcoming disadvantage, inequality and exclusion. The next round of applications open in September 2025. Find out more here.
