A Brief History of Holy Cross College
Holy Cross College, a name, a living history, a beautiful and colorful tapestry of many lives! A loving family, a dynamic tradition! It has completed its 60 years!
It was the time, after the partition of the Indian Subcontinent, in 1947, the Archbishop of Dhaka, His Excellency the Most Reverend Lawrence L. Garner, CSC, requested this establishment of a Girls’ College by the Sisters of the Holy Cross. This noble and challenging task was asked of Sister Augustine Marie. On November 1, 1950, Holy Cross College officially began its journey in Dhaka, the Capital of the then East Pakistan. Sister Rose Bernard, (who had just arrived that year) was also called upon to help Sister Augustine Marie in this endeavour.
Sister Augustine Marie, the Founder and First Principal, is remembered as a woman of great vision, humanity and passion. She wanted each student of Holy Cross College to become a mature and responsible woman…. one who could contribute to society with her own knowledge, moral values, and achievements. The initial motto of the college, as indicated in our earliest Scribe, was:
“Gentle in manner
Strongly in deed.”
The College started with 5 students and now it has about 2500 students.Presently, the faculty consists of 47 teachers. At its opening, it began with the Humanities Group. Later on, the Science Group was added and very recently, in 2005, the Business Studies Group was opened. A six-storied building with a beautiful auditorium was built within the last ten years.
During these 60 years there were five Principals: Sister Augustine Marie, Sister Joseph Mary, Mrs. Gerty Abbas, Sister Marian Teresa and the present one, Sister Shikha Gomes. There were three Acting Principals: Sister M. Rose Bernard, Sister Joseph Mary and Sister Joann Havelka. We thank the Almighty for the many Blessings on the College, and we look forward to the College’s continued growth.
