Mary Glowrey - Saint in Waiting

From the Herald Sun:

Mary Glowrey, a Melbourne University graduate who went on to work as a missionary in India, looks set to become the nation's second saint after the first stage of the long process began yesterday.

Glowrey was born in 1887 in Birregurra, 135km southwest of Melbourne, but moved to Melbourne to study medicine.

After graduating with a bachelor of medicine and a bachelor of surgery, Ms Glowrey worked for a short time in Sydney before moving to Melbourne's Eye and Ear Hospital and St Vincent's Hospital. She later opened her own practice on Collins St.

She said she had her religious calling at East Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral in 1915 after reading a pamphlet about the plight of children in India.

In 1920 she migrated to Bangalore, where she joined the Congregation of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and carried out missionary work there until her death in 1957.

From the Catholc Archdiocese of Melbourne:

The Catholic Women’s League of Victoria and Wagga Wagga has been working closely with the Society of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in India for the past two years preparing for the commencement of Mary Glowrey’s cause.

The Archbishop of Bangalore, the Most Rev. Dr. Bernard Moras, appointed Fr Paul Puthanangady on 11 November this year to assist and guide the Society of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the preparation of all documents and records needed in the preliminary phase of Mary Glowrey’s cause. The Catholic Women’s League of Victoria and Wagga Wagga hold more than 80% of Mary Glowrey’s personal writings.

From the Catholic Women's League Australia:

The inaugural President of the League was Mary Glowrey, a gifted young doctor whose actions were grounded in an understanding of the absolute inviolability of human life. In 1920, Mary left her thriving career as an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. Surrendering herself completely to God’s will, Mary sailed for India to become a medical missionary with the Congregation of the Society of Jesus Mary Joseph in Guntur. Pope Pius XI bestowed a special blessing on her medical mission work and Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, as Mary Glowrey was then known, became the first nun-doctor missionary.

Female Bishops Attend Synod

From Zenit.org:

Two women who have been invited to participate in the Synod of Bishops for Africa are expressing enthusiasm at being able to add their feminine genius into the mix.

Spaniard Myriam García Abrisqueta, president of "Manos Unidas" (United Hands), is one of these women who was asked to join the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, which began Sunday in the Vatican and will end Oct. 25.

Abrisqueta explained to ZENIT the responsibility that she feels in participating as an auditor in the synod, and sharing her particular experience in working in Africa.

Another participant, Sister Elisa Kidanè, general councilor of the Comboni Missionary Sisters, will attend the synod as an "expert."

Speaking last Thursday in Rome, at the Palazzo Valentini, in a conference on the importance of the bishops' gathering, Sister Kidanè stated that "many of the failures of missionary work in the 20th century were to be ascribed to the lack of consideration of the feminine element."

Anglican Women

Came across a fascinating website that I would like to share with you all:

"Resources By and About Anglican Women"

There are a number of articles written by women who worked as missionaries in the Far East and women who were Deaconesses. Many of these articles were written in the 19th Century.

There are also a number of articles of women missionaries in America.

So for those interested in the lives and works of these 19th and early 20th Century women, please check out the website and browse through some of the articles and memoirs.