Irene McCormack RSJ (born 21 August 1938 – 21 May 1991), an Australian nun, was a member of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart who worked as a missionary in Peru.

She was assassinated in Peru in 1991 by members of Sendero Luminoso ("Shining Path"), a Maoist rebel terrorist organisation.

[6] After decades teaching in Australian schools, McCormack felt called to serve Latin America's poor.

McCormack and her companion, Sister Dorothy Stevenson RSJ, were asked to supervise the distribution of emergency goods by Caritas Peru.

McCormack continued her ministry of providing poor children with library facilities to aid their school homework, which they otherwise would not have had.

[6] On 17 December 1989, the Catholic priests in Huasahuasi were warned of danger from Sendero Luminoso, so they and the two sisters left the village for Lima.

During this time McCormack and Stevenson served the people, providing spiritual leadership by regularly conducting services as no priests were available to go to the village.

Guerrilla band members also went to the convent, where McCormack was alone whilst Stevenson received medical treatment in Lima.

[5] In October 2010, Australian media reported McCormack's possible recognised sainthood after Mary MacKillop's canonisation.

The Daily Telegraph reported that senior Peruvian and Australian Catholic clergy expected preparing a submission to the Vatican for McCormack's cause after Mary MacKillop's canonisation.

[4] It also reported that people judged to have been martyrs do not require evidence of miracles performed through their intercession, hoping that this would accelerate McCormack cause.

[10] Artist Rose Reilly has created two glass mosaic memorial pieces honouring McCormack.