From 1972 to 1982 Sister Mary Emily FC of the Daughters of the Cross religious order, was the Principal of the St. Joseph's College (Karachi), Pakistan. [1] St. Joseph's is one of the leading Colleges in the country. In 2007, 1,548 students were studying in the college with a total of 78 teachers.[2]
The Daughters of the Cross were founded in Belgium 175 years ago and arrived in Pakistan in 1862. The Sisters have been involved with various activities over the years: the founding of schools; work in hospitals, clinics, and social centers for assisting the poor and sick; offering humanitarian assistance, both material and spiritual, to prisoners and those living in refugee camps; family counseling; service to the orphans and children living on the street, through a house that takes care of over 120 children. Today, the congregation has 112 houses all over the world and 850 Sisters carrying out its mission.[3]
In 2005, when St. Joseph's College was returned to the Catholic Board of Education, Sr Emily was again appointed the principal.[4]
On the 23 March 2009 the Government of Pakistan awarded Sr. Emily the Sitara-e-Imtiaz which she received from the Governor of Sindh. This was in recognition of her services to education.[5]