Thirty years after their return to Bangladesh, the Jesuits opened a new novitiate in this South Asian country, where Christians are a small minority. By allowing novices to preserve their initial training in local culture and languages, the Jesuits hope to spark more vocations.
“A grace from God”: this is how the superior of the Jesuit mission in Bangladesh, Father Ripon Rozario SJ, describes the support provided by the international pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). During a visit to the international headquarters of the pontifical foundation, Father Ripon explains how thirty years after his return to the country, the Jesuits of Bangladesh are about to inaugurate a new center for the development of the Society of Jesus and the promotion of new vocations.
One of the main problems faced by Jesuits in Bangladesh is the training of new members for their orders. Until now, novices were sent abroad for training, especially to neighboring India. Father Ripon, for example, studied in India, Ireland, and Rome before being ordained in 2013. “A major problem has been the increasing difficulties in obtaining visas for novices to study abroad, in addition to other problems with passports and various documents,” says the priest.
“As Jesuits, we think it is good that initial formation is in local culture and languages. We prayed together and then we decided to open a novitiate in the country,” explains the superior of the mission.
Bangladesh Jesuit NovitiaA small but vibrant church
The Jesuits first arrived in Bangladesh in 1576, but for political reasons they were forced to abandon their mission soon after. “We were not able to reestablish ourselves in the country until 1994, the year in which the Catholic bishops of Bangladesh invited us to return,” he explained during his visit to ACN. Currently, there are 28 Jesuits in Bangladesh, the vast majority are Bangladeshis.
“We run two schools, a retreat house, several spiritual and pastoral programs and a youth ministry center called Magis Bangla,” Father Ripon lists. Additionally, the congregation runs a parish with four missions for the tribal population. “We have Jesuits of tribal origin,” says the priest, which allows them to speak to people in their own language.
Christians represent a small minority in Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim country: “Bangladesh is a small but densely populated country, with more than 170 million inhabitants. There are approximately 500,000 Christians there, of which about 300,000 are Catholics.” The Catholic Church “has contributed immensely to the development of the country,” says the priest, “especially in the areas of health and education.”
Bangladesh Jesuit Novitia“Bangladeshis are religious people,” he says. “The Church is vibrant, and we carry out numerous charitable activities.” Many young Catholics grow up witnessing the spiritual and social services offered by the Church, and this encourages them to discover their vocation as a Jesuit. “We already had four novices in our novitiate program and another six joined in June,” reports Father Ripon, who is also novice master of the Society of Jesus in Bangladesh.
“The Bangladeshi Church is poor and has very few resources,” explains Father Ripon. That is why the Jesuits asked ACN to support the construction of the new novitiate. The pontifical foundation “responded immediately saying that it would help us,” says the priest. The new novitiate will be inaugurated this July 16.
Father Ripon thanks the benefactors of ACN: “Thanks to your generous support we are finishing the works and, in the coming years, with this new novitiate we hope there will be more vocations. So, thank you for all the support you have given to the Jesuit mission in Bangladesh through ACN.”
