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

'Probondoshomogro': A Book of Essays and Articles by Father Benjamin Costa, C.S.C.

The book cover of Probondoshomogro, written by Father Benjamin Costa, C.S.C., 
the then Acting Vice-Chancellor of  Notre Dame University Bangladesh

This 400-page Bengali-language book, by Father Benjamin Costa, C.S.C. – former professor and Acting Vice-Chancellor of Notre Dame University Bangladesh, was published in early 2017 by Lekhaprokash of Dhaka.

It contains a collection of 58 write-ups, previously published in different newspapers, magazines, and journals in Bangladesh.

The main thread of his writings is God is love and we need to put that love into practice in our daily lives irrespective of our professions and religions.

The varied topics he covered in his book are:

• God, and being holy like God
• Jesus Christ (Christmas, Easter, Jesus as the ideal teacher)
• Kingdom of God: social perspectives
• Catholic Church and other Christian Churches
• Role of Churches in spreading Christ’s teachings
• Unity of Christian Churches
• Spirituality, and personal and collective spirituality
• The spirituality of religion teachers
• Spiritual formation of social-development workers
• Father Basil Moreau’s vision and present-day Congregation of Holy Cross
• The Congregation of Holy Cross in Bangladesh: its past and present situation
• Holy Cross Novitiate in Bangladesh
• History of the formation of priest-candidates of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Bangladesh
• Moral and spiritual formation of children and adolescents
• Family being the seed-beds of religious vocations
• Role of family in building a corruption-free society
• Role of youth organizations in the formation of values
• Role of the youth in the present realities of life
• Characteristics of a successful youth leader
• Teaching and teachers, and the role of teachers in changing societies
• The necessity of self-giving and self-dedication in the teaching profession
• How to curb students' increasing cheating or cribbing tendencies in academic tests and examinations
• Human rights, including those of minority communities, in the light of the Bangladesh Constitution
• Human rights, labour rights, and family rights
• Justice for peace and harmony in society
• Women’s rights in Christianity and present situation
• Basic and indivisible inheritance of all peoples
• The need for prayers for world peace and welfare of peoples
• Inter-religious communion and harmony
• Peaceful coexistence and cooperation among followers of different faiths
• Religious directions on religious fraternity and harmony
• Poet Nazrul Islam and inter-religious harmony
• Medical care is a liberating service
• Non-violence and world peace
• Globalization of religious beliefs
• Role of religion in countering terrorism
• Role of families in countering terrorism 

This book will enlighten both Christian and non-Christian readers, who can learn something valuable from it for the benefit of themselves and others.

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.)  

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.