Rome’s Bangladesh Catholic
community celebrates Christmas, Victory Day
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| Bangladeshi Catholics celebrating Chistmas and Victory Day. |
Some 70 Catholics, including lay people, nuns, brothers,
seminarians and priests on December 16 celebrated Christmas and the national
Victory Day at the Parish of St. Mary Major in San Vito.
By Robin Gomes
The Catholic community of Bangladesh in Rome came together
Sunday evening in a spirit of conviviality and sharing to celebrate Christmas
as well as the 47th anniversary of the national Victory Day.
Despite a cold snap, a crowd of some 70, including men,
women, children, babies, priests, nuns and seminarians turned up at the Parish
of St. Mary Major in San Vito. Some Italians and Indians were also
present.
The church close to Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major is
where the Catholic community of Bangladesh gathers once every month, usually on
the 3rd Sunday, to celebrate Holy Mass in the Bengali language.
Bijoy Dibosh, or Victory Day, is celebrated on
December 16 to commemorate the victory over the Pakistani forces in the
Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 which formally concluded the Bangladesh
Liberation War and ended Pakistani rule in what was then called East Pakistan.
Earlier on March 25 that year, East Pakistan declared
independence from Pakistan. The following day, March 26, is observed as
Independence Day. Both Victory Day and Independence Day are national
holidays.
The joy of Christmas
The Bangladesh Christian Association of Rome organized the
event that began with a concelebrated Mass with 7 priests, presided over by
Father Peter Chanel Gomes.
Reflecting on the readings, the priest from Dhaka
Archdiocese delivered a homily on the joy the Christmas brings. While
Book of Zephaniah urges Israel to rejoice, St. Paul’s tells the Philippians
that they can experience happiness and peace by being kind, by praying and by
being grateful.
In the Gospel of Luke, Fr. Gomes explained, John the Baptist
speaks about sharing with others and practising justice. He commented on
the word ‘joy’ explaining that ‘j’ stands for ‘Jesus’, ‘o’ stands for ‘others’
and ‘y’ stands for ‘you’ that should come last. This, he said, is the key to
the happiness and joy of Christmas.
Never forget your roots
The get-together that followed included Christmas carols,
a recital of a rhyme by a child, a lucky dip with Christmas gifts for all,
cutting of a Christmas cake and a simple meal with typical home-made Bengali
preparations.
Kicking off the party after Mass, PIME priest Father Gabriel
Amal Costa commented on the 47thanniversary of their
Victory Day. He urged those present to feel themselves proud of their
motherland and Bengali identity whatever be their current citizenship. He
also urged them to remember with gratitude the countless men, women and
children who suffered and died in the Bangladesh Liberation War.
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