Brother John Rozario, CSC, Dies in Dhaka

Brother John Rozario, CSC

Photo courtesy: Bro. Harold Bijoy Rodrigues, CSC

Brother John Rozario, CSC, a member of the Brothers of Holy Cross in Bangladesh, died of old-age complications at a hospital in Dhaka on February 1 at the age of 81. He was buried next day evening at the Wari Christian Cemetery after a Mass at Holy Cross Church at Luxmibazar. Hundreds of Hindu, Muslim, and Christian people – priests, Brothers, Sisters, teachers, students, and guardians – paid their respect to him when his body was for viewing at the compound s of St. Joseph Higher Secondary School at Mohammadpur and St. Gregory’s High School at Luxmibazar before his burial.

Born at the Banshbari village of Motbari Catholic Church in Gazipur District on January 2, 1936, Brother John Rozario studied at Motbari Catholic Primary School and Bandura Holy Cross High School. After Grade 8 in Bandura, he was sent to Noakhali for one-year novitiate in 1953. After his first vow in 1954, he studied in Grades 9 and 10 at St. Gregory’s High School in Dhaka. After completion of his Matriculation Examinations in 1956, he joined Notre Dame College. After two years of I.Sc.there,he did his B.Sc. (Honours) in 1962 from the University of Dhaka. Later he was sent to the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA, for his M.Sc. in Physics (1965).

He taught at St. Joseph’s High School at Mohammadpur, Dhaka, and Bandura Holy Cross High School. In the Holy Cross Brothers-run schools in the Archdiocese of Dhaka, American Holy Cross Brothers would be the headmasters. Brother John Rozario was the first local Brother to hold the headmaster’s position. He served for 19 years as the headmaster of Bandura Holy Cross High School, St. Gregory’s High School, and St. Joseph Higher Secondary School.

He was also the first Bangladeshi Brother to serve as the Superior of the Brothers of Holy Cross in the Archdiocese of Dhaka. He was the Brothers’ Superior from 1981 to 1991 and Vice Provincial from 1991 to 1994.

In addition, he served as the Coordinator of the Bangladesh Christian Communities Programme (1976-2008) and president of the Bangladesh Conference of the Religious (1986-1987). He was also involved with some other Church and social organizations, such as different Episcopal Commissions, Caritas Bangladesh, and Asiatic Society.

His hobbies included reading, writing, and sporting. He was a voracious reader and this made him fluent in writing. He used to write a regular column, called ‘Kothokota’, using ‘Bijon Rozario’ as the pseudonym for the writer.

--Info courtesy: Brothers Harold Bijoy Rodrigues, CSC, and Binoy Gomes, CSC