ASIA/BANGLADESH - New parish of St. Joseph in the diocese of Jajshahi: bishop and parish priest remember Italian missionary

Rajshahi (Agenzia Fides) - The diocese of Rajshahi has a new parish: the parish of Saint Joseph in Bhutahara, located in a remote and tribal rural area in the northern part of the country. The inauguration of the new parish, which took place on May 1st, the feast of Joseph the Worker, was attended by around a thousand faithful from different villages in the region, gathered around Bishop Gervas Rozario of Rajshahi.
The inauguration ceremony also commemorated the Italian missionary of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), Father Emilio Spinelli, who lived in Bangladesh for 46 years and died in Italy in August 2022. The missionary dedicated his whole life to preaching the Gospel to the tribal people in Chandpukur, Bhutahara, Rohonpur in the Diocese of Rajshahi: it is thanks to his missionary work that the local faith community grew, which was founded in 2007 and is now a "parish church" with about 3,500 faithful.
The Italian missionary is also known among local Catholics for his efforts to educate students from poor indigenous families.
"Through this celebration of the Eucharist and the blessing ritual, the small church of Bhutahara becomes a parish", said Bishop Rozario, "We are overjoyed; this is truly a day blessed by God. We thank all those - priests, missionaries and catechists -, who have dedicated their lives to this communion... In fact, the Church is not made of stones but of people, 'living stones' who listen to the Word of God and live it every day".
As part of the inauguration of the new parish church, the bishop also administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 109 young people of the parish and reminded them: "You have received the Holy Spirit, who gives you strength to bear witness and proclaim Jesus Christ in your life".
Father Sushil Louis Pereira, parish priest of Saint Joseph, thanked the Bishop, who had come to a remote and rural area to bless the new parish church, and wanted to express personal thanks to Father Emilio Spinelli who, he said, "for the lst 13 years worked tirelessly and carried out his pastoral ministry to build up our parish".
"The fact that there is now a church here is a sign of a common path and a certain maturity: now we all together as God's people take on the responsibility to continue on the path and to support the Church in faith, build up in hope and love," said the parish priest.
The catechist Noren Murmu, who was present at the inauguration, said: "We have seen this community grow and accompanied it with patience. The seed of the Gospel has sprout and will now bear fruit according to God's will. We will proclaim the Gospel among the tribal populations of the region".
The area is primarily inhabited by the indigenous Santal and Oraon peoples, who originally practiced a form of ancient pantheism associated with nature and the worship of spirits.
For years, missionaries and catechists have accompanied and visited these populations and the number of the baptized has grown steadily, year after year. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 5/5/2023)

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