Order “overjoyed” after Pakistan road named after Irish missionary

The Irish Order of Jesus and Mary are “overjoyed” after a road in Pakistan was named after an award-winning Irish missionary for her work in education there.

A road in Karachi was named after Sr Berchmans Conway RJM due to an initiative of parents of one of the schools in which she taught.

Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Sr Marie O’Halloran RJM who is based in Dublin, said “we’re overjoyed for her”.

“In Pakistan they think highly of her, what she taught and the values she held in the school and the respect she had for these girls touched them deeply,” Sr Marie said.

“They’re present parents of the school because they often send their kids back to the school… they wanted something permanent to honour Sr Berchmans and to have it in Karachi.”

Sr Marie added: “I think the women were probably very special, they’d be young mothers and whatever, they do think highly of the religious there and I suppose she was there for 62 years in Pakistan and they appreciated her giving so much of her life to the country in search for better education for them.”

‘Berchman Road’ runs from Khayaban-e-Saadi to Shahrah-e-Bedal via Agha Khan Hospital Block-2, Clifton, Karachi. A function was held to mark the naming of the road last week and a plaque was erected.

Hailing from Co. Clare, Sr Berchmans was presented with the Benedict Medal by the Archbishop of Westminster and Chancellor of St Mary’s University, Cardinal Vincent Nichols in July last year. She was also awarded the Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam in 2012 – one of the highest civil awards given by the President of Pakistan, and has been hailed as “outstanding” by President Michael D. Higgins.