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| A scene from Jishu Nila, a folk-religious play on the life, suffering and death of Jesus, staged by a Catholic group in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka in 2017. (Photo: Stephan Uttom/UCA News) |
On the
first Tuesday of Lent, about 200 Catholic villagers — children, adults and the
elderly — gathered in the yard of a Catholic family in Choto Satanipara, one of
six villages under Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Rangmatia of Gazipur
district in central Bangladesh.
From
morning to afternoon, the faithful had special prayers, life sharing from
elders, Way of the Cross, Mass, a special talk from the parish priest and a
fraternal meal with rice, vegetables and lentils before heading back to their
homes.
Nearly
half of the village's 400 Catholics are non-residents who live in cities,
mostly in capital Dhaka about 50 kilometers away, for reasons such as jobs and
education.
The
spiritual and social gathering on March 3 was part of a special village-based
program during the Catholic Church's Lenten season, introduced by Dhaka
Archdiocese about a decade ago.
