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| A nun greets Archbishop Moses Montu Costa, CSC on his 22nd Episcopal Ordination anniversary in 2018 (Photo: Chittagong Catholic Archdiocese) |
About three weeks after Holy Cross Archbishop
Moses Montu Costa’s sudden and shocking demise, Bangladeshi Catholics at home
and abroad continue to remember him online and offline every day by posting his
photos, prayers for eternal rest and sharing memories.
After apparently recovering from Covid-19, he
died from a brain hemorrhage caused by multiples strokes on July 13 at the age
of 70.
Head of Chittagong Archdiocese, the cradle of
Catholicism in Bangladesh, from 2011 until his death, Archbishop Costa earlier
served as the bishop of predominantly indigenous Dinajpur Diocese from 1996 to
2011.
As secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB) for more than a decade, he also served as
chairman of the episcopal commissions for liturgy and prayer, youth, seminary
and healthcare.
The prelate was a strong candidate for the
post of archbishop of Dhaka in the nation’s capital to succeed Archbishop
Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario, who is set to retire in October.
His death is indeed an irreparable loss, not
only for Chittagong but also for the whole Bangladesh
Church.
It is common for minority Christians in South
Asian countries to revere their bishops and archbishops as demigods.
Archbishop Costa won the hearts of many
thanks to his extraordinary life and work in the services of the people of God
for about four decades (including 24 years as a bishop) in various roles — a
pastor in parishes, a director of future priests and teaching psychology and
pastoral theology in the major seminary, and then as the head of Dinajpur and
Chittagong dioceses.
He was able to overcome his human follies with great love for people as a model of a good pastor and church leader, very much in line with Pope Francis’ version of “a shepherd who smells the sheep.”
