The MSJ Congregation has announced the death of Mother Philomy, who, according to Sr. Merina, Assistant General of the Congregation, was “called by God to her eternal reward.” In a message shared with members, Sr. Merina expressed the community’s profound grief, stating, “With deep sorrow and grief we share that our beloved Mother Philomy was called by God to her eternal reward. Kindly remember her in your prayers and pray for the repose of her soul.” The congregation and its wider community have extended their prayerful condolences to all MSJ members as they come to terms with this loss. Many have joined in praying for the repose of Mother Philomy’s soul, commending her to the peace of the risen Lord.
Hundreds attend Venerable Agnelo’s 98th death anniversary
Thousands gathered at the Pilar hillock in Goa on November 20 to commemorate the 98th death anniversary of Venerable Agnelo de Souza, the saintly priest of the Society of Pilar. The day, revered as Venerable Agnelo’s Day, drew pilgrims from across Goa and beyond. Auxiliary Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes of Bombay presided over the feast day Mass. He was assisted among others by Bishop Emeritus Alex Dias of Port Blair and Pilar superior general Father Nazareth Fernandes.
Bishop Fernandes, in his homily, expressed joy at the commemoration of the saintly priest, saying that the Church rejoiced because God had blessed Goa with “a priest of extraordinary holiness from its own soil.” He explained that the celebration was not only about remembering Venerable Agnelo but about taking him as a model: “We take him as our model so that we too may live with the same steadfast hope that shaped his entire life.”
Karnataka Church mourns Jesuit educationist’s sudden death
Jesuit Father Swebert D’Silva, a prominent educationist and renowned visionary in the southern state of Karnataka, died November 20, following a massive cardiac arrest. He was 68. He died at 1:15 pm at St Philomena Hospital in Bengaluru, Karnataka capital. His sudden death has deeply saddened colleagues, students, alumni, and well-wishers across Karnataka. “It was a life of selfless service, boundless love and unwavering faith”, said Jesuit Father Praveen Martis, the vice chancellor of the St. Aloysisus University in Mangaluru.
Father D’Silva had also served as the rector and pro-chancellor of St Joseph’s University, Bengaluru. Jesuit Father Victor Lobo, the vice chancellor of St Joseph’s University, requested everyone to pray for the repose of his soul and expressed his condolences in a message. Several members of the Jesuit community shared their tributes, acknowledging the confrere’s steadfast commitment to education, social service, and pastoral care. He was serving as the director of Arrupe Nivas, Bengaluru, at the time of his death. Father Dionysius Vaz, Jesuit’s Karnataka provincial, highlighted Father D’Silva’s transformative leadership in shaping St Aloysius College into a deemed-to-be university, blending infrastructure development with value-based education.
Goa Police Ban Event Linking Kamasutra With Christmas After Public Outcry
Police in Goa have stopped a controversial event after strong protests from the Catholic Church, NGOs and civil society groups, who said the program wrongly linked sexuality with the holy Christmas festival. The event, titled “Tales of Kamasutra and Christmas Celebration,” was planned for Dec. 25–28 in Panaji. But on Nov. 23, police ordered organizers to cancel it after a poster showing explicit content went viral on social media. In a statement, Goa Police said they had directed organizers to stop the event and remove all related advertisements from social media. The Church in Goa condemned the program, saying it deeply hurt Christian sentiments.
Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, Archbishop of Goa and Daman, said Christmas is a sacred time of joy and peace. Linking it with unrelated and explicit themes was “deeply offensive” and disrespectful to millions of believers. The Catholic Association of Goa (CAG) also filed a formal complaint, calling the event “illicit, obscene, and insulting.” CAG president Cyril A Fernandes said the organizers appeared to promote sexual activities under the name of spirituality, which could harm Goa’s reputation as a family-friendly place. Social activists also demanded action. Arun Pandey of the NGO Arz said authorities should check for possible violations of laws related to obscenity or exploitation.
The organizers, Osho Ludhiana Meditation Society, later apologized. They said their intention was to hold a tantra-based meditation retreat, not a sexual event. They admitted the poster caused misunderstanding by placing the words “Kamasutra” and “Christmas” together. The group has now cancelled the event and withdrawn all posters, saying they never meant to hurt religious feelings.
Odisha Church thrilled over new auxiliary bishop for Cuttack-Bhubaneswar
Pope Leo XIV on November 22 appointed Father Rabindra Kumar Ranasingh as the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. “It is with profound joy and gratitude to God that I hereby formally announce to you the good news of the appointment of our new Auxiliary Bishop,” said an official letter from Divine Word Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. The archbishop said the appoint signals the Pope’s “pastoral concern for our local Church and its growing needs.”
He said the auxiliary bishop will greatly strengthen the archdiocese’s pastoral outreach, support its clergy, religious, and faithful, and enhance the mission entrusted to it by Christ. “I invite all of you to join me in prayer for our bishop-elect as he prepares to assume this sacred responsibility in the service of the Church. May the Holy Spirit grant him wisdom, strength, and a shepherd’s heart to lead God’s people with humility and dedication,” the archbishop added.
The bishop-elect is, at present, the parish priest of Sacred Heart Church, Jatni and dean of Cuttack deanery. He was born on July 9, 1972, as the first of seven children of Janas and Helena Ranasingh in Kasabasa, a village in Odisha’s Kandhamal district. Three of his four sisters are nuns and the other is a nurse. He studied philosophy at Jnanadeepa Vidyapeeth in Pune and theology at Khristo Jyoti Institute of Theology at Sambalpur in Odisha. He was ordained a priest on April 18, 2001 at Daringbadi Parish in Kandhamal. The bishop-elect has a doctorate from the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome. Father Pradosh Chandra Nayak, the vicar general of the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archdiocese, welcomed the appointment terming the bishop-elect as the right choice with proper qualification.
Hindu hardliners oppose Christ the King festival in eastern India
A forum backed by Hindu hardliners organized a protest march against the tribal Christian celebration of the Christ the King festival in Jharkhand, causing frustration and fear among the Christian community already facing rising pressure for their faith. The protest was held on Nov. 23 in Ranchi by the Janjati Suraksha Manch (JSM), a group supported by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the main umbrella body of Hindu right-wing organizations. The RSS and its political arm, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claim that Christian celebrations are attempts to convert tribal people. JSM activists alleged that the festival was another example of “forced conversion” and demanded that it be banned in the state.
Christian leaders strongly rejected the accusations, calling them part of a growing campaign to spread fear among tribal Christians. “Tribal Catholics have been celebrating the Christ the King festival for more than twenty years. This is the first time such a protest was deliberately held on the same day to disturb peace,” said Ratan Tirkey, a tribal Christian leader. He said the organizers wanted attention and attempted to create suspicion against Christians. Another leader, Praween Kachhap, said groups like JSM aim to control tribal land, culture, and traditions. He pointed out that most JSM members support the BJP, and such protests are used to create division among tribal communities. Local tribal leader Prabhakar Tirkey said it was wrong to blame Christian missionaries for harming tribal culture. “In reality, they have helped protect tribal languages and identity,” he said.
Jharkhand has seen a rise in hostility toward Christians, especially after a strict anti-conversion law was passed in 2017. The law carries a penalty of three years in jail and a heavy fine. Christians form about 1.4 million of the state’s 33 million people, most of them belonging to tribal communities.
Thamarassery Diocese Marks Centenary of Malabar Migration With Special Program
The Thamarassery Diocese in Kerala organized a special event to mark 100 years of the historic Malabar Migration, when thousands of Christian families moved from southern Kerala to the Malabar region in search of land and better opportunities. The program, held on November 22 at Kozhikode Town Hall, also formed part of the diocese’s 40th anniversary celebrations. Church leaders, political representatives, scholars, and members of the community came together to remember the sacrifices and contributions of the early migrant families. The Malabar Migration refers to the movement of Saint Thomas Christians—mainly from the Travancore region—to Malabar between the two World Wars. These families left due to shortage of cultivable land and economic struggles, and they helped develop Malabar’s agriculture, infrastructure, education, and health systems.
George Kurian, Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, praised the migrants for transforming the region with innovative farming methods like intercropping and for their hardworking and peace-loving nature. He also thanked the local communities of Malabar for welcoming the settlers with generosity. Presiding over the meeting, Bishop Mar Remigiose Inchananiyil said the migrants “rewrote the history of Malabar” through their faith and determination. He announced that the diocese will observe a Migration Remembrance Day every year and plans to set up a Migration Museum within the next decade. Scholars P. J. Vincent and Joy Varghese presented papers on the history and socioeconomic impact of migration, followed by a panel discussion. At the public meeting, M. K. Raghavan, Member of Parliament, highlighted the key role of the Church in Kerala’s social and educational progress. He encouraged Church institutions to start new-generation courses to meet modern needs. Archbishop Varghese Chakkalakal of Calicut reminded the audience that societies grow when they value their history. MLA Thottathil Ravindran added that today’s achievements are the result of the hard work of migrant ancestors and must be passed on to the younger generation.
Caritas Da Nang reaches isolated villages as deadly floods sweep central Vietnam
Caritas Da Nang has pushed into some of the most isolated flood-hit communities in central Vietnam as successive floods and landslides continue to devastate the region. The social action arm of the Diocese of Da Nang said its teams have been “steadfast on the road” for nearly three weeks, combining urgent relief with early recovery efforts for people trapped by rising waters and collapsing mountain slopes.
In recent days, central provinces have “continued to bend under successive floods and severe landslides,” Caritas Da Nang reported, adding that water returned to communities that had only just begun to dry out. Beginning on November 17, water levels in the Vu Gia and Thu Bon rivers climbed again to between alert level 2 and alert level 3, causing deep and widespread flooding. Caritas teams have travelled through mud-clogged mountain routes to reach villages cut off for days.
In A Teep village in Quang Nam province, Caritas workers found the entire residential area of 15 ethnic minority households buried under thousands of cubic metres of earth and rock. Only rooftops remained above the mud. Residents told the team that 10 homes were completely buried and five seriously damaged, but all 50 people survived after a timely evacuation.During the same mission, Caritas delivered food to 76 families in a nearby hamlet that had been isolated for two weeks with nearly all reserves depleted.
In A Soo village, Caritas Da Nang director Father Simon and Father Joseph Pham Thanh Binh of Caritas Saigon brought food to 50 families stranded by landslides. The organization also delivered a generator to the Tay Giang sub-parish of Dong Vinh Parish. Across multiple districts, Caritas has been distributing warm clothing, blankets, mattresses, bicycles, food, and essential supplies through its Zero-Dong Supermarket model.
Catholic bishop calls Sheikh Hasina death sentence ‘one-sided’ and ‘abuse of power’
The secretary of the Bangladesh Catholic Bishops’ Conference has criticized the death sentence given to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as unilateral and politically motivated, reaffirming the Church’s opposition to capital punishment.
Bishop Ponen Paul Kubi, CSC, of the Mymensingh Diocese, told CNA that the verdict handed down Nov. 17 by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal was “one-sided” and that “the accused had no lawyer and that the current government used political power to give this verdict.”
“The Catholic Church has never supported the death penalty,” Kubi said. “I think that even if Sheikh Hasina committed a crime, she should be punished in a way that is remedial.”
Describing the verdict as an abuse of power, Kubi added: “If we judge in a hurry and give a verdict as we wish, we are no longer living in civilization, we have gone back to the primitive era.”
The Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal found Hasina, 78, guilty of crimes against humanity related to the deadly crackdown on student-led protests in July and August 2024. The court sentenced both Hasina and her former home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, to death in absentia. Former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun was sentenced to five years in prison after turning state witness.
The 453-page verdict, broadcast live on state television beginning around 12:30 p.m. local time Monday, found Hasina guilty on three of five charges, including ordering the use of drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons against protesters, and failing to prevent mass killings.
How an American missionary empowered Bangladesh’s Christian community
On the 37th anniversary of his death, Bangladesh’s Christian community honoured an American Holy Cross priest and microcredit pioneer who transformed their economic future — Father Charles Joseph Young, whose cooperative credit union has grown from 50 members and barely any money in 1955 to 46,000 members with $122.6 million in capital today.
On Nov. 14, the country’s most respected cooperative, the Christian Cooperative Credit Union Ltd., Dhaka — known as Dhaka Credit — and other cooperatives marked Young’s death anniversary with events including tributes at his grave, a Mass, and public discussions on his life and impact.
“If Dhaka Credit had not stood by me today, I would not have been a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur,” said 45-year-old Shukli Kubi, a Garo tribal mother of two.
Kubi, originally from a rural area in Mymensingh Diocese in central Bangladesh, came to Dhaka in search of a livelihood and started working in a beauty parlour for just 500 taka (the equivalent of $4 today) about 15 years ago. After gaining experience, she has now opened a parlour of her own and is considering a loan from Dhaka Credit to expand.
“I easily took a loan from Dhaka Credit to buy at least 150 decimals of land in the village and opened a beauty parlour in Dhaka, where 10 employees are now working,” she said.
Many workers in Kubi’s parlour have gone on to open their own, albeit on a smaller scale, and she is planning to expand further. “I tell people, save some money in Dhaka Credit and take a loan to buy land for yourself or start a business like me,” Kubi said.
Dhaka Credit is a cooperative run by lay Christians in Bangladesh, founded in 1955 under Young’s leadership. The organization, which started with only 50 members and a capital of 25 taka (the equivalent of about $0.20 today), now has 46,000 members and a capital of about $122.6 million. It operates the Divine Mercy Hospital Ltd., a 300-bed facility — the first hospital established by lay Christians in the country — with more than a thousand employees.
At the time of its founding, Catholics in Bangladesh were financially vulnerable and often forced to take loans from landlords at high interest rates. Young established the credit union movement to lift the Christian community out of poverty, explained Michael John Gomes, president of Dhaka Credit. Gomes noted that, due to Young’s influence, more than 250 cooperatives now exist in parishes across the country.
To keep Young’s legacy alive, Dhaka Credit established the Father Charles J. Young Foundation, which benefits people of all religions in Bangladesh. The foundation seeks to create employment for poor and educated unemployed youth via skills training, educational support, and research.