Bangladesh Mission
History of the Jesuit Mission in Bangladesh
Before Suppression
The Jesuit presence in Bangladesh is as old as the presence of the Christianity in the country as they were the first missionaries whose blood watered the soil of Bengal. In the 16th century, the Portuguese Jesuits brought the light of Christian faith to Bengal, the present Bangladesh. The first Catholic Church in Bangladesh was built by the Jesuits and was inaugurated on Jan 1, 1600 at Ishshoripur (Satkhira). Jesuit Fathers Francisco Fernandez and Andre Boves were the first martyrs in Bengal. The Jesuits had to leave the country due to many socio-political reasons and the suppression of the Society, though within a short span of time the mission had experienced tremendous growth.
The second coming of the Jesuits
At the invitation of the Catholic Bishop’s conference of Bangladesh, the Jesuits returned to Bangladesh in 1994. Fr Chandan Gupta and Fr Jozef Cukale laid the initial foundation of the mission.
Rev Fr Ripon Rozario SJ (Mission Superior)
Fr. General approved the appointment of Fr. Ripon Rozario as the new Bangladesh Mission Superior. He succeeded Fr. Joseph Mistri. Fr. Ripon assumed the office as the Mission Superior of Bangladesh Mission on 21 June 2022. He is also the Novice Director for Bangladesh Mission since July 16, 2022. He holds Licentiate in Psychology & Counselling, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome.
