Pope Francis and Bangladesh

Pope Francis elevates Archbishop Patrick D'Rozario of Bangladesh to the cardinalate in the Vatican (November 19, 2016)

Photo courtesy: www.tkayala.com/

Pope Francis greets Cardinal-designate Patrick D'Rozario of Bangladesh in the Vatican  

Photo courtesy: www.asianews.it/

Another 'November Pope' (called so as three Catholic popes visiting Bangladesh so far came in November) is coming to Bangladesh. He is Pope Francis. He is coming on a three-day state and apostolic visit to Bangladesh on November 30 bringing the message of hope, love, harmony, and peace. He will be the third pope to grace the land of Bangladesh. The second pope to visit Bangladesh was Pope John Paul II on November 19 - 20, 1986. His message to  all Catholics of Bangladesh was to be more faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ and work for better communion and brotherhood among themselves and also with members of other faiths. Bangladesh Catholic Church had given him a rousing welcome. The  first pope, Pope Paul VI, to set foot to Bangladesh (at that time it was known as East Pakistan) was on November 27, 1970. He had stopped for a few hours as a short stopover on his way to Manila, the Philippines, to express his love and sympathy for the terrible November 12 cyclone victims in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. He also made a donation towards relief and rehabilitation work among those victims. 

Pope Francis, originally from Argentina of South American continent, was elected Pope of the Catholic Church in the Vatican on March 13, 2013. From next month onward, his attention fell on Bangladesh, too. He first spoke on the garment factory collapse at Savar and next he gave public statement on the terrorist attack on Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka, he also spoke in support of the Rohingya refugees fleeing to Bangladesh, later he named and elevated Dhaka's archbishop Patrick D'Rozario to the cardinalate, and now he is to visit Bangladesh next week. His association with Bangladesh is noteworthy. 

Being from a third-world country of Argentina, Pope Francis easily understands peoples and situations in countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar. He will be the right person to encourage, inspire, and boost the the hopes and aspirations of the people. His motto for Bangladesh visit is "harmony and peace." He knows that harmony and peace are so necessary in a country where people belong to different culture and religions. On November 21, he expressed his eagerness to meet with Catholic and other inter-religious leaders. "I want to meet the entire people. In a special way, I cannot wait to meet the religious leaders in Ramna Park" [Suhrawarthy Uddyan] in Dhaka. 

Bangladesh Government and the Catholic Church are ready to receive Pope Francis with cordiality and open arms. They are ready to hear him and interact with him on different issues. His advent to Bangladesh will act as a source of inspiration and encouragement for greater harmony and peace among peoples of different religions and culture. 

Pope Francis, on his arrival in Dhaka at 3:00 p.m., on Thursday, November 30, will lay wreaths and pay homage in the National Martyrs' Memorial [to those who were killed in 1971 Liberation War] and Bangabandhu Memorial [to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation]. He will also meet with country's president Abdul Hamid and government and civic dignitaries and members of foreign diplomatic corps. On Friday, December 1, he is offer solemn morning Mass at the Suhrawardy Uddyan for about 100,000 Christians and he will ordain 16 local deacons to priesthood. In the afternoon, he will meet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Apostolic Nunciature (Vatican Embassy), visit St. Mary's Cathedral at Ramna, speak to the nine bishops of Bangladesh, and, finally, join the leaders in an inter-religious and ecumenical meeting for peace in the open space at the Archbishop's House. A small group of Rohingya refugees will also be present in this meeting. On the final day, Saturday, December 2, in the mid-morning, he will privately visit Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity house at Tejgaon, meet with priests, Brothers, Sisters, seminarians and novices at the Holy Rosary Church, visit the parish cemetery and historic church (old one), meet with young people at Notre Dame College, and go to the Dhaka International Airport for the farewell ceremony. At 5:05 p.m. his plane leaves for Rome. 

To know more on Pope Francis and Bangladesh, you may click on the following: 

• Pope Francis in Bangladesh 2017 (Official website of the Bangladesh Catholic Church on the papal visit)
• Pope stresses workers’ dignity after Bangladesh factory collapse [garment factory at Savar] (April 28, 2013)
• Bangladesh factory collapse: Pope condemns 'slave labour' conditions (May 1, 2017)
• Bangladesh attack an offense against God,humanity, Pope Francis says [terrorist attack on Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka] (July 2, 2016)
• Pope Francis condemns Bangladesh attack as 'barbarous act' (July 2, 2016)
• Pope prays for victims of recent attacks inBaghdad and Dhaka (July 3, 2016)
• Pope Francis prays for victims, families of Dhaka and Baghdad attacks (July 3, 2016)
• Archbishop Patrick D'Rozario Named a Cardinal by Pope Francis (October 10, 2016)
• Archbishop Patrick D’Rozario, CSC, named a Cardinal, the First for Bangladesh (October 11, 2016)
• Pope Francis to Create 17 New Cardinals at November Consistory (October 9, 2016)
• Pope creates 17 new ‘progressive’ cardinals (November 19, 2016)
• Pope elevates His Eminence Patrick D'Rozario as 1st Bangladeshi Cardinal (November 19, 2016)
• Pope Francis Elevates Archbishop Patrick D’Rozario to Cardinalate (November 20, 2016)
• For Bangladesh's new cardinal, papal visit will boost faith (November 19, 2016)
• Pope Francis defends right of Burma's Rohingya Muslims to 'live their faith' (February 8, 2017)
• Pope Prays for Rohingya Muslims (February 9, 2017)
• Pope condemns Myanmar's treatment of 'peaceful' Rohingya refugees (February 9, 2017)
• Pope Francis issues stinging rebuke of Myanmar over atrocities against Rohingya Muslims (February 9, 2017)
• Pope meets families of victims from deadly Bangladesh attack [some family members of Italian victims of terrorist attack in Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka] (February 22, 2017)
• Pope Francis: appeal for end to violence against Rohingya (August 27, 2017)
• Pope Francis meets family members of Dhaka terror attack victims (February 24, 2017)
• It’s official: Pope Francis to visit Myanmar, Bangladesh in November (August 28, 2017)
• Pope Francis to Visit Myanmar, Bangladesh in November (August 28, 2017)
• Vatican releases logos for Pope Francisvisit to Bangladesh, Myanmar (August 28, 2017)
• Vatican Announces Papal Visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh (August 28, 2017)
• Pope Francis to visit Bangladesh and Myanmar in November (August 28, 2017)
• Pope to visit Bangladesh and Myanmar later this year (August 28, 2017)
• Cardinal D’Rozario: The Pope’s visit to Dhaka, a confirmation of inter-religious harmony (August 28, 2017) [video included]
• Cardinal D'Rozario: The Pope wants the world to know about Bangladesh (September 26, 2017)
• Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have faint hopes about pope's visit (October 3, 2017)
• Pope's visit to Bangladesh, "a pilgrimage to the soul of the people" -- Cardinal D'Rozario (October 7, 2017)
• Schedule of Pope Francis’ apostolic visit to Myanmar, Bangladesh (October 10, 2017)
• Vatican releases pope's schedule for visit to Myanmar, Bangladesh (October 10, 2017)
• Longing for peace: Pope to preach dialogue in Bangladesh, Myanmar (November 15, 2017)
• Pope Francis sends video message to the people of Bangladesh (November 21, 2017) [video included]
• Pope Francis’ Video Message to Bangladesh (November 21, 2017) [video included]
• Pope eager to meet Catholic inter-religious leaders in Bangladesh (November 21, 2017)
• Before Bangladesh trip, Pope calls for inter-religious dialogue (November 21, 2017)
• Pope Francis’ message to Bangladesh (November 21, 2017)
• Pope Francis releases video message forpeople of Bangladesh (November 21, 2017) [video included]
• Bangladesh Church preparing for Pope’s visit – Cardinal D’Rozario Bangladesh Church preparing for Pope's visit -- Cardinal D'Rozario(November 22, 2017)
• Bangladesh religious leaders have high hopes for pope's visit (November 22, 2017)
• Pope Francis to meet Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh (November 22, 2017)
• Bangladesh Cardinal says Pope Francis will bring message of dialogue and harmony (November 23, 2017)
• Cardinal Parolin: Pope's visit to Myanmar, Bangladesh 'to encourage Christians' (November 24, 2017)
• Asie du Sud -- Bangladesh (November 15, 2017) [A French-language article on the Catholic Church in Bangladesh in view of the visit of Pope Francis to Bangladesh]
• Perspectives Weekly - How Does a Papal Visit Change a Host Country? Perspective Weekly - How Does a Papal Visit Change a Host Country?(Deacon Pedro interviews Jerome D'Costa on the Salt and Light TV in view of the visit of Pope Francis to Bangladesh) (November, 2017)
  
  

Father Benjamin Costa, C.S.C., Passes Away

(L-R): Dominic Rozario and his friend Father Benjamin Costa, CSC, at the Mathis House of Notre Dame College, Dhaka

Photo (July 17, 2017) © Jerome D'Costa

(L-R): Father Bernard Palma and Father Benjamin Costa, CSC, as young priests in the early 1970's

Photo @ courtesy of Father Bernard Palma

With a heavy heart, I am announcing the unexpected demise of Father Benjamin Costa, C.S.C., on Friday, October 13, at 3:45 p.m. at City Hospital in Dhaka. He died of acute lung and respiratory complications due to pneumonia. He was 75.  

Father Benjamin Costa, a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Bangladesh and former Acting Vice Chancellor of Notre Dame University, first in September last had suffered from chikunguniya virus attack and later from pneumonia and serious lung complications. On September 28, he was rushed from Square Hospital of Dhaka to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore where his situation did not improve. He was brought back to Dhaka few days ago and was admitted to City Hospital at Lalmatia.

His funeral Mass, held on Saturday, October 14, at St. Mary’s Cathedral at Ramna at 9:00 a.m., was attended by numerous grieving fellow priests, Brothers, Sisters, leaders of different religions, relatives, friends, school-college-university students and teachers, and well-wishers. Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario, C.S.C., a classmate and friend of Father Costa, officiated at the Mass. Another memorial Mass was held at Holy Rosary Church at Tejgaon at 1:00 p.m. Around 4:00 p.m., he was buried at the Holy Cross Community Cemetery at Bhadun, about 20 km north-east of Dhaka.

In their condolence messages, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, and Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Dr. Akhtaruzzaman expressed their shock at the death of Father Costa and praised his valuable contributions to the education and development sectors of Bangladesh.  

Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario, in an October 14 email message to me, wrote: “…The climax of our [cardinal and Father Costa’s] friendship was on 26 Sept. when in ICC [intensive care unit] at the [Dhaka] hospital, Ben [Father Benjamin] asked for the sacramental absolution of his sins on his 75^th Birth Anniversary. Confession was his best gift of friendship with me; and from me, the most precious gift to him in ministering reconciliation. Restlessly he worked, now he enjoys eternal rest.” It is noteworthy that Roman Catholics try their best to have a rewarding death by confessing their sins and receiving God’s forgiveness before leaving the earth.

Born on September 26, 1942 at Doripara Village of present-day Gazipur District, Father Benjamin Costa, at the age of five, with his siblings and parents (Late Matthew Costa and Late Elizabeth Palma) moved to Rajardior Village of Chatmohar Upazilla in Pabna District when their and fellow villagers' lands were acquired by the British government for building the railway line from Dhaka to Chittagong.  He studied at local parish primary school at Mathurapur of Pabna District and then at Little Flower Preparatory Seminary and Holy Cross High School at Bandura of Dhaka District and at Notre Dame College of Dhaka. He also studied at Notre Dame University in Indiana, USA, and later at Christ the King Major Seminary at Karachi in West Pakistan. On January 7, 1971, he was ordained a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross at Mathurapur Catholic Church. Much later, he also studied at the University of Chicago, USA.

He first served as a professor and later Principal (April, 1998- December, 2012) of Notre Dame College, Dhaka, and then Acting Vice Chancellor (2013-August, 2017) of the newly-established Notre Dame University Bangladesh in Dhaka. 

For Catholic youth formation and development, his contribution is legendary. He helped in the formation of the Catholic Jubo Seba Dal and other youth initiatives in the Archdiocese of Dhaka. He was also involved in many other charitable and educational organizations and initiatives. He was also was rector of college-going Holy Cross seminarians and Holy Cross Brother candidates. He was a prolific writer and translator. His write-ups appeared in numerous Catholic and secular newspapers, magazines, and journals. He wrote and translated several Catholic religious and spiritual books. In early 2017, his Bangla-language book of essays and articles, called Probondoshomogro, was published by Lekhaprokash -- a secular publishing house in Dhaka.

May God give an eternal rest to Father Benjamin Costa!

A part of his funeral ceremony at St. Mary's Cathedral can be viewed at: Fr. Benjamin Costa CSC: He Is No More

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.)  

The Sign of the Time

The guardroom at the gate of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church at Tejgaon, Dhaka. Some children sitting there in spite of the hand-written sign: "It is prohibited to sit in this guardroom. Only the guard will sit here."

Photo © Jerome D'Costa (January 4, 2012)

The Quotation of the Week (November 22 - 28, 2015)

A quotation of Colin Powell on 'success,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A shoeshine-cum-shoerepair boy on a footpath on Asad Avenue in Dhaka: January 13, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (October 25 - 31, 2015)

A quotation of George Shultz on 'losing,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A passenger bus, covered with an advertisement poster, plying on the Airport Road of Dhaka, Bangladesh: January 10, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of tlhe Week (March 1 - 7, 2015)

A quotation of Pope Leo XIII on 'workman' or 'labourer,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (Life at the entrance of the Mary House in Tejgaon, Dhaka: January 4, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (January 11 - 17, 2015)

A quotation of Nelson Mandela on 'real leaders,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A Bangladeshi doll, Dhaka: 1989) © Jerome D'Costa

Archbishop Emeritus Paulinus Costa of Dhaka Is No More

Archbishop Paulinus Costa

Archbishop Emeritus Paulinus Costa of the Archdiocese of Dhaka, Bangladesh, died of heart attack on January 3, reports the Vatican Radio. He was 78 and a diabetic with long-time complications. 

He was the archbishop of Dhaka after being transferred from the Diocese of Rajshahi on July 9, 2005 after the retirement of Archbishop Michael Rozario. After serving for six years as the archbishop of Dhaka, he retired on October 22, 2011. He was spending his retiring days at Holy Rosary Parish at Tejgaon, Dhaka.

Born at Choto Shatanipara village under Rangamatia Parish in Gazipur District on October 19, 1936, he studied at the Little Flower Preparatory Seminary and Holy Cross High School at Bandura, then in Dhaka District. He then studied at St. Joseph Intermediate Seminary at the Archbishop’s House at Ramna, and Notre Dame College, both in Dhaka. In 1957, he was sent to the Propaganda Fide College in Rome for studies in philosophy and theology and was ordained a diocesan priest on December 21, 1963. 

After his return from Rome, he worked in several parishes including Jalchatra in the thenTangail District and Srimongal in the then Sylhet District. In 1973, he became the founding-rector of the National Major Seminary, Bangladesh’s first major seminary, in Dhaka. He served there until he became the bishop of the Diocese of Rajshahi in 1996. 

Archbishop Paulinus was committed to peaceful coexistence among various religious communities and he was given Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award in 2007 for his work in this field. In 2010, the Human Rights Legal Aid Society gave him recognition for his human rights work in Bangladesh. He also gave a long-time service to Caritas Bangladesh in different capacities. 

He will be buried tomorrow, January 7, in the compound of the Archbishop's House at Ramna, Dhaka, where former archbishops Theotonius Amal Ganguly, CSC, and Michael Rozario are also buried. 

The Quotation of the Week (October 5-11, 2014)

A quotation of Francis Bacon on 'books,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A hawker sells English-language books to motorists in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Dec. 28, 2011) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (July 13 - 19, 2014)

A quotation of Abraham Lincoln on 'happiness,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A sun-powered plastic sunflower in a car in Dhaka: January 10, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (May 4 - 10, 2014)

A quotation of Jimmy Johnson on 'extra effort for success,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (Vending of vegetables on a footpath at Uttara of Dhaka, Bangladesh: January 10, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (January 19-25, 2014)

A quotation of Mother Teresa of Calcutta on 'family,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A Muslim lady in Dhaka, Bangladesh, waiting for a bus: January 13, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

Notre Dame University, Bangladesh (NDUB), Debuts in Coming September

An architectural design of the future Notre Dame University, Bangladesh building

The Congregation of Holy Cross, that has been running Notre Dame College in Dhaka since 1949, is opening a university in this college campus from coming September. The same Congregation of Holy Cross runs the world-renowned University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA. 

The new university, named Notre Dame University, Bangladesh, received the required Bangladesh government approval on April 29, 2013. It will be one of dozens of universities in Bangladesh. It is going to be the first Catholic university in Bangladesh with Father Benjamin Costa, CSC, as its Vice Chancellor.

A Different Type of University

Notre Dame University, Bangladesh, is slated to be a unique university because of its “student-centered, value-based and service-oriented” emphasis. It intends to “teach students not just a livelihood, but how to live in today’s complex world.” It will “not educate just the mind but also help form the heart.” The university’s motto is “The competence to see and the courage to act.” 

The university will temporarily be housed in the buildings of Notre Dame College until the construction of its own multi-storied building in the north-east section of the same college campus. 

A Co-educational University

Although Notre Dame College is only for male students, the new university will be for both male and female students and its medium of instruction will be English.

Each academic year will have three semesters – the Fall Semester (September to Mid-December), Spring Semester (January to March) and Summer Semester (Mid-April to July). The annual admissions will take place only in September. 

Courses

The four-year Degree (Honours) courses will be of two types – the core curriculum courses and the main or major courses. 

In the first year, all students, irrespective of their major courses to be taken in the last three years, will need to take the mandatory core curriculum courses. These courses will include leadership, critical (analytical) thinking, academic methodology, linguistic skills in English, human dignity and rights, and human development. 

The students will also be exposed to Socio-cultural History of Asia, Economics, Basic Sciences (Physics, chemistry, Biology and Mathematics), Inter-Personal Relations and Bangladesh Ethnic Studies.

In addition, students will learn about globalization, common good (good governance) and gender relations. 

The core curriculum is based on the belief that “a well-educated person knows something about everything and everything of something.”

The next three years will be devoted to students’ major subjects “in context of what has been learned in the Core-Curriculum.”

Initially Three Major Degree Programmes

This non-residential university will start with only three Degree (Honours) programmes: Arts (English Language, Philosophy, Economics and Sociology), Business Studies (Accounting, Management, Marketing and Finance), and Law (both Honours and Pass Course). 

The University Website

This university's website is still under construction. In future, more details about this university can be accessed at: Notre DameUniversity, Bangladesh.