Sister Berchmans Conway, former principal of the Convent of Jesus and Mary school in Karachi archdiocese, died in the UK
Sister Berchmans Conway. (Photo supplied)
An Irish nun who spent more than six decades teaching girls in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan passed away on Dec. 20.
Sister Berchmans Conway, former principal of the Convent of Jesus and Mary school in Karachi archdiocese, died in the United Kingdom, Church officials said.
Born in Ireland in 1930, Sister Conway joined the congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary in 1951 in Willesden, London, before moving to Pakistan at the age of 24 to serve in the Muslim nation.
She taught at the Convent of Jesus and Mary schools in Karachi, Lahore and Murree.
Her students include the late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, former Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz, top rights advocate Asma Jahangir, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Chairwoman Hina Jilani, Nobel laureate Nergis Mavalvala as well as other political and showbiz figures.
Daughters of the Cross Sister Julie Pacheco, who is also a student of the late nun, said Sister Conway inspired her to educate street children.
Since 2005, the principal of St. Joseph’s College for Women, has enrolled 180 Hindus and Catholics, most of them beggars, in formal and technical schools in the port city.
Presently 60 street children are studying at St. Joseph High School during afternoon sessions where they are provided free lunch, books and uniforms.
“We continue following her vision to love and educate the girl children, who their families often neglect, both in education and share of the property,” she told UCA News.
Sister Pacheco said her love for the poor is inspired by the Irish nun.
According to a survey by the Punjab Bureau of Statistics and Punjab Commission, the literacy rate of minority women was 11 percent in 2017.
Fifty percent of non-Muslim women never attended school, shows data.
Father Mario Angelo Rodrigues, dean of St. Patrick High School in Karachi, remembers Sister Conway for going out of her way to help the poor and needy.
“She was a remarkable person, one who formed the character of students,” he said.
In 2012, Sister Conway was awarded the Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam, one of the country’s highest civil awards, for her services to education and promoting interfaith harmony.
The award citation celebrated her “constant adherence to the call of duty over a span of 59 years, which has made Sister Conway a living example to emulate.”
In July 2019, she became the first woman to be decorated with the Benedict Medal by St. Mary’s University, London, at Westminster Cathedral.
In 2020, a road in the southern port city of Karachi was named after the nun to recognize her services to education.
The consulate of the Republic of Ireland in Karachi paid tribute to her on its Facebook page yesterday.
“There are special people in our lives who never leave us even after they have gone. May God have mercy on her soul,” it stated. “Sister Berchmans has touched the lives of countless Pakistani schoolgirls as a mentor, friend and teacher. Under her able leadership, the institution has been providing quality education to Pakistani girls. You will be missed.”
Christians pioneered modern education in the subcontinent. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, missionary schools were known for their discipline and quality education. As per the latest Catholic Directory, the Church manages 448 educational institutes in the country.
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