Bangladesh Has A New Catholic Diocese: Why Hindus And Muslims Are Excited, Too
Paul Gomes was consecrated as the first bishop of the new diocese of Joypurhat in Bagladesh. (Photo by Stephan Uttom Rozario)
JOYPURHAT, Bangladesh — A new Catholic diocese in Bangladesh is creating a place of hope for people of all faith, especially in the fields of education and health.
Bishop Paul Gomes, 64, was consecrated on June 5 as the first bishop of the new diocese of Joypurhat in northern Bangladesh, which is largely inhabited by indigenous people. Joypurhat is the ninth Catholic diocese in Bangladesh with more than 24,000 Catholics.
“The new Catholic diocese is a hope for the people of this area, and we think this diocese will bring about a change in the education and health sectors of this region,” said Mohammad Shafiq, 35, a Muslim cleric.
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He said Muslims in the area are aware that Christians had been making many contributions to the expansion of education and health throughout the country, anticipating that their area would also develop as a result of the new diocese.
Less than 1% of Bangladesh’s 180 million people are Christians. But Christians’ contributions to the country in the field of education and health seem disproportionately high. According to the Bangladesh Catholic Directory 2023, there are a total of 358 educational institutions in the country, including one university and 17 colleges. There are also 79 hospital clinics.
Sarathi Pal, 56, a Hindu housewife whose two sons studied at missionary schools and colleges, said her children “studied at missionary schools, and we have high hopes for missionary educational institutions and their teachers.”
“I think there will be missionary educational institutions and hospitals for treatment in this region as well,” she added.
Pal said she believes that having a missionary institution in the Joypurhat area will improve the quality of life of the people in the area.
“Missionaries provide humanitarian education beyond traditional academic education, so we are interested in missionary educational institutions and treatment,” she said.
There are already 13 primary, high schools and colleges and three health clinics in the Joypurhat diocese. The new bishop has promised to develop these educational institutions and dispensaries.
“I have already spoken to foreign missionaries working in the region who are working to develop educational institutions,” Gomes said. “So that not only Christians in this region, but all religious people can receive education.”
However, due to financial restraints, he has not made any commitment to build a hospital for treatment right now.
“We will work to improve the quality of the dispensaries that are currently there, but when we have financial development, we will work to build hospitals or health centers,” Gomes said. “However, I will work for everyone, not just only Christians, with the support of the entire people of this region and work to build an inclusive society.”
After the consecration ceremony, the apostolic Nuncio in Bangladesh, Archbishop Kevin Randall, expressed gratefulness to Gomes on behalf of Pope Leo XIV.
“You have been ordained as a bishop in response to the pope’s call, thank you,” Randall said.
On March 25, Pope Leo had declared the creation of the new Joypurhat diocese and named Gomes as its bishop. Gomes was born in the Rajshahi diocese on Sept. 3, 1962. He was ordained a priest in 1992.
Gomes has been doing pastoral work in various parishes throughout his life. He has also served as the director of Jesus’ Name House, a seminary in Dinajpur. He also served as the director of Ramna Seminary from 2002-2006 and has been serving as the director of Banani Major Seminary since 2022.
Stephan Uttom Rozario is a journalist and photographer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh,