Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Dhaka (Fides Service) - Thanks to the evangelising work of the Holy Cross Congregation, in 150 years the number of Catholics in Bangladesh grew from 13,000 to more than 270, 000. The Congregation has just marked he 150th anniversary of its arrival in this small Asian country, situated east of India. In fact it was in 1853 that first Holy Cross missionaries arrived to work in the newly created Vicariate of East Bengal which at that time included the territory of India and Myanmar.
In these 150 years the members of the 3 Holy Cross Congregations, priests, brothers and women religious, weathered cyclones, famine, floods, earthquakes, conflicts with the local people all the time proclaiming the Good News. There are currently 42 Holy Cross priests including 10 foreigners, 47 Brothers, including four foreigners and 65 Sisters including three foreigners serving in the country.
Five of the country’s 8 Bishops are member of Holy Cross. Three of them lead the dioceses of Chittagong, Dinajpur and Khulna, two are Auxiliaries at Dhaka Archdiocese and Mymensingh diocese.
The programme in February to close a year long Holy Cross anniversary celebration, included a solemn Mass at Dhaka; a panel discussion on Challenges of Holy Cross in the Present Time; presentations by Holy Cross lay associates. To commemorate the occasion the congregation published a 308 page book titled 150 years of Holy Cross in East Bengal Mission and a 180-page souvenir magazine.
Bangladesh has a population of 140 million, 88% Muslim, 10% Hindu and only 0.4% Christian.
(PA) ( Agenzia Fides 16/3/2004 lines 24 words 247)
