The Daughters of St. Paul (Latin: Filiae Sancti Pauli; Italian: Figlie di San Paolo), also known as the Media Nuns, are an international Catholic religious congregation of consecrated women[2] founded in 1915 in Italy.
The congregation is part of the worldwide Pauline Family, one of the ten institutes founded by James Alberione, and operates in 51 countries around the world.
They are present in Europe (Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Romania, Russia, Spain, Switzerland), in the Americas (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela), in Africa (Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe), in Asia (South Korea, Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand) and in Oceania (Australia, Papua New Guinea)[4].
Sister Daniela Baronchelli who has worked in Pakistan for 22 years founded the first local community of the Daughters of St Paul in Karachi.
[5] In every mission they put evangelization first, followed by programmes of spiritual and material assistance to the poor with a series of initiatives: social centres, medical care, education.
[8] The police raided the Sisters' bookshop in Karachi in June 2005, for allegedly issuing literature or materials which hurt the feelings or beliefs of other religions.
[7] In January 1968, Sr. Ignatia Balla, the superior general in Rome visited Pakistan to determine the need for the opening of a second community in Lahore upon the request of the Bishops from the Punjab.
According to Angeles this opens up "the possibility of new vocations, better understanding of the mission at a local level, elevation of the dignity of women, opportunities for dialogue with the modern world and greater support to pastoral work".
[12] On 16 November 2019, the sisters used the launch of the Year of Youth 2020 at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Lahore to unveil the Urdu translation of Christus vivit, the message of Pope Francis written in response to the 2018 synod.