Hyderabad:
The first nun-doctor missionary, who spent her life in India, mostly in Guntur and Bengaluru serving poor patients, will take her first step to sainthood on Wednesday.
The Vatican gave the nod for Sister Dr Mary Glowrey, an Australian of Irish origin, to be declared ‘Servant of God in India’, the first step to become a Catholic saint. The announcement of her declaration as Servant of God will be made by Bishop Gali Bali of Guntur diocese at a ‘chrism mass’ on Wednesday.
Dr Glowrey first landed in Guntur in 1920 at the age of 33. She came as a missionary of the Society of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and ran a dispensary which turned into St Joseph’s Hospital.
Director-general of the Catholic Health Associat-ion of India, Dr Tomi Tho-mas, says, “Sister Glowrey founded the Catholic Health Association of India in 1943 which now has 3,500 health care institutions in the country and is the largest NGO in the health sector. She was born in Victoria in 1887 and studied medicine and worked at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital and Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne and also had a private practice.”
Bishop Gali Bali called her a “special creation of God and a great soul who embraced the whole world”. She left her lucrative career as an ENT specialist after she chanced on a pamphlet in 1915 about the appalling infant mortality rate in India. It changed the direction of her life.
“Pope Pius XI later bestowed a special blessing on her medical work and, as Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, she became the first nun-doctor missionary. At Guntur, she trained local women to be pharmacists, nurses and midwives. She often travelled to visit the sick and dying in remote villages. She also used Indian traditional medicine,” the Bishop said.
My Jesus, I love you, were her last words
The people of Guntur were thrilled on hearing the news that Sister Glowrey will be declared ‘Servant of God in India’, the first step to become a Catholic saint.
Elizabeth, 65, of Amaravathi Road, Guntur, said, “I was brought up by Sr Glowrey. I cannot forget her love and affection. She used to be a very caring person for the poor and a devout Christian.”
Sister Victoria who had worked at St Joseph’s said, “It is a great honour for St Joseph’s General Hospital at Guntur as its founder is in the process of canonisation. She converted a small dispensary into a huge hospital which today is serving the poor and the needy.”
Dr Glowrey died on May 5, 1957. Her last words are said to be, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph” and “My Jesus, I love you”.
She spent her last days in Bengaluru and her vision led to the establishment of one of the best Indian medical colleges, St John’s Medical College.
source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / by U. Sudhakar Reddy / March 27th, 2013