Father Benjamin Costa Is Critically Sick, Needs Your Prayers

(L-R): Jerome D'Costa, blogger of the BANGLADESH CANADA AND BEYOND blog, and his friend Father Benjamin Costa, C.S.C., Acting Vice-Chancellor of Notre Dame University Bangladesh at the Mathis House of Notre Dame College, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 17, 2017

Photo by Dominic Rozario

The initial report received here says that Father Benjamin Costa had got chikungunya virus attack as a result of a certain type of mosquito bite, resulting in headache, muscle pain, swelling of joints and more. Later he got lung complications followed by breathing difficulty, for which he was in Square Hospital in Dhaka for three weeks. 

As his condition was getting severe, he, on September 28, on emergency basis was rushed to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore by an air ambulance. Father James Clement Cruze, C.S.C., the Provincial of the Fathers of Holy Cross in Bangladesh, accompanied him.

A prayer request has been made for an early recovery of Father Benjamin Costa, C.S.C. to his fellow priests-Brothers-Sisters, friends, acquaintances, Bangladesh Notre Dame College and University professors and students.

Since the establishment of Notre Dame University Bangladesh in the Fall of 2014, Father Benjamin Costa, C.S.C., has been acting as the Vice-Chancellor until mid-August of this year. Then, Father Patrick Daniel Gaffney, C.S.C., a U.S. Holy Cross priest and Associate Professor of English in the same university, became the new Vice-Chancellor. 

The Latest on Father Benjamin Costa's Situation:

According to Father James Cruz's emails to Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario, and forwarded to me, doctors in Singapore did two bronchoscopies on Father Benjamin Costa and "ventilation has been changed from mouth to throat. He is still stable. Doctors will say more on Sunday. He has been given high antibiotics." Father Cruz also says that Father Benjamin Costa's blood pressure and heart beat "are fine. Kidney is also good. Because of lung infections lung-support machine is helping him to breathe. Please continue to pray for him."

Further Info on Father Benjamin:

Father James Clement Cruze, C.S.C., who had accompanied Father Benjamin to Singapore, returned to Dhaka and Father Shital Hubert Rozario, C.S.C., took his place. Father Cruze writes in an October 8 e-mail to Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario: "The present situation of Father Benjamin remained the same. No change. He is in ventilation. Lung infection is grave. Doctor could not find out, either it is recoverable or not. They have done 2nd-time bronchoscopy and his ventilation has been changed from mouth to throat. He is being given high antibiotics. Doctors wanted few days more to give their opinions. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for him."

(Updated on September 30, 2017 at 10:40 p.m.)
(Updated again on October 6, 2017 at 12:40 p.m.)
  (Updated again on October 9, 2027 at 12:05 p.m.)