Marie-Louise Uhr

Marie Louise Uhr (26 July 1923 – 28 July 2001) was an Australian biochemist and leader in the movement advocating for the ordination of women in the Catholic Church.

Early life and education Marie Louise Uhr was born on 26 July 1923 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Her parents were Clive Wentworth Uhr and Marie Uhr. Clive and Marie Uhr had four boys and three girls. Marie was the second-born of the seven children.

Uhr attended the University of Queensland, where she earned a bachelor of applied science. Following graduation, she worked for the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories in Melbourne. She also wrote on gender bias within the field. She retired from teaching in 1994. She served as national vice-president of MOW from 1989 to 1991. Uhr was the national convener of the organisation from its inception until 2000.

Uhr decided to pursue theological studies late in life, and earned a Graduate Diploma in Theology from St Mark's National Theological Centre in Canberra. In 2002, Uhr's family donated her papers to the National Library of Australia.

St. Mark's National Theological Center has established an award in her honour, the Marie Louise Uhr Memorial Award for Theological Excellence.

Select publications Uhr, Marie Louise. "Jesus Christ, the Sophia of God: A Symbol of Our Salvation", Women-Church: Australian Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, no. 19 (1996): 15–21. Digitised version of no. 19 (1996) available on JSTOR Open Community Collections, University of Divinity Digital Collections, Mannix Library Uhr, Marie Louise. "Women's Ordination: Barriers and Boundaries", Women-Church: Australian Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, no. 28 (2001): 11–16. Digitised version of no. 28 (2001) available on JSTOR Open Community Collections, University of Divinity Digital Collections, Mannix Library