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Page 8 – www.sandpiper.org.au
October 2016
Celebrating a
century of CWL
O
ne hundred years ago,
a slim, young woman
stood in front of 2000
women, in Cathedral Hall in
Melbourne.
She was Dr Mary Glowrey
and addressed the crowd as the
first President of the Catholic
Women’s
Social
Guild.
Inspired by Catholic women’s
organisations he had seen in
the US, Fr William Lockington
encouraged Mary to take on
the role of President.
Also celebrating its centenary is the Catholic Women’s
League
magazine,
The
Horizon. President of The
Horizon Committee, Sylvia
Neaves, said, “Our collection
of old Horizons has provided
a fascinating glimpse into the
lives and concerns of women
over the last 100 years. We
have produced a Centenary
Book outlining how members
of the League lived up to its
motto, ‘She has put out her
hand to strong things’. The
motto, was given to us by Fr
Lockington and paraphrases
Proverbs 31. War, Depression,
affluence and rapid communication have all had effects
on the lives of women. Each
generation has had to change
direction and approach, while
maintaining a stable core of
beliefs and attitudes.’
The
League
attracted
women of extraordinary foresight. The women associated
with the League have always
taken active roles at a parish
and state level. More recently
they added to these roles
National and International
activism.
On October 2 this year,
women from the four Dioceses
of Victoria and the Diocese
of Wagga Wagga will gather
to celebrate the legacy they
inherited from the pioneer women of the Catholic
Women’s Social Guild, which
later became known as the
Catholic Women’s League.
Mary Glowrey graduated
from Melbourne University
as a doctor – one of the first
women to do so – moved to
India, where she entered the
Congregation of the Society
of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Sr
Mary of the Sacred Heart, as
she was then known, continued to practise medicine. She
formed the Catholic Health
Association of India, which
serves nearly as many patients
per year as live in Mary’s
native land, Australia (21 million). Sr Mary of the Sacred
Heart was declared a Servant
of God in 2013.
Meanwhile, the League
flourished and grew, undertaking some monumental tasks,
such as providing accommodation for 100 country girls so
they would be safe and cared
for in the city. Its activities,
in the early years, included
practical assistance guided by
a deep spiritual life. One hundred years later the role for
the League has broadened to
include defence of the unborn
child, the elderly and dying
and the traditional understanding of marriage, while still
acknowledging the power of
prayer – especially through the
intercession of Sr Mary of the
Sacred Heart.
www.cwl-vic-ww.org contains information about the
work of the Catholic Women’s
League. For further information on The Horizon contact
the editor, Jane Munro, at [email protected], or
for information about the centenary book, Margaret Brodie
[email protected]
Christus Rex
Catholic Women's League founder Dr Sr Mary
Glowrey departs Melbourne (above) and in India
(inset). The CWL of Victoria and Wagga Wagga
and The Horizon publication celebrate their
centenaries on October 2.
Pilgrimage
Friday 28th - Sunday 30th October
Sandhurst Diocese Staff & Guests
Christus Vincit! Christus Regnat! Christus Imperat!
A three day pilgrimage in the medieval tradition, with singing,
daily Mass & enriching fellowship, walking through the
Victorian countryside from St Patrick’s Cathedral, Ballarat
to Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo.
[email protected]
www.crex.org