Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Tejgaon (Agenzia Fides) - On Saturday afternoon, September 12, continuing his pastoral visit to Bangladesh, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, celebrated evening Mass in the church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Tejgaon, dedicating it in particular to families. "This ecclesial Community has its roots that go back to the sixteenth (16th) century - said the Cardinal in his homily -, even though this land was made a Mission territory only in the year eighteen fifty-two (1852). It was first entrusted to the Congregation of the Holy Cross (C.S.C.) and then to the Benedictine Order (O.S.B.), and became a Diocese on the first (1st) day of September in the year eighteen eighty-six (1886). It was raised to a Metropolitan Archdiocese in July 1950". It is therefore, stressed the Cardinal, "a relatively small community, but an absolutely beautiful and extraordinary one in the eyes of Christ".
With regards to the community, the Cardinal stressed that "Our task then, knowing the Lord, is to profess our faith in Him without hesitation" and that "the first among the faithful that believed and followed Christ was Mary... the first disciple to say “yes”, even before her Master and Lord was conceived". Cardinal Filoni then urged everyone to follow Christ and the Virgin Mary, and in particular addressing the families said: "May every family here in Bangladesh live up with the dignity of the family of God, by reflecting the unity in diversity of the mystery of the Blessed Trinity and the Holy Family of Nazareth, bonded in love and always at the service of Mother Church and of the whole of humanity!"
On Sunday, September 13, the last day of his pastoral visit, Cardinal Filoni visited the "Holy Spirit" Major Seminary in Banani, where he celebrated Mass and met with seminarians and community formators. In his homily, he revived and enriched the words pronounced by Pope Francis in a meeting with seminarians from different colleges in Rome, and gave them four guidelines which correspond to the four pillars of priestly formation: Spiritual formation; Academic formation; Community life formation; and Pastoral formation. Therefore, Cardinal Filoni highlighted the particular harmony with the Sunday Readings, "these words offer great encouragements to all of you who are under formation", and concluded with this encouragement: "The formation period is precisely the time when the Lord opens your ear, that is, your heart and mind, to entrust you with the treasures of His Word and Grace. Take courage! The Lord calls you to a beautiful and generous adventure. Never lose the joy of this calling because this joy is the gauge of your vocation. Without joy, there is no vocation and a vocation without joy is already worn out". On Sunday 13, the Cardinal paid a courtesy visit to the Prime Minister then left for India. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 14/09/2015)
