Indigenous communities are driving the growth of the Catholic Church in Bangladesh, with more than 1,000 baptisms recorded each year in one northwestern diocese, a bishop said.
Bishop Sebastian Tudu of Dinajpur said the Church’s missionary future in the Muslim-majority country rests largely with Indigenous peoples, particularly the Santal and Orao communities.
“The hope of the Church in Bangladesh lies in the tribal peoples. Therein lies the future of the Church,” Tudu told the Vatican’s Fides News Agency.
The Diocese of Dinajpur has about 100,000 Catholics in more than 30 parishes and numerous mission stations in Indigenous villages. Most Catholics in the diocese belong to the Santal, Orao, and other Indigenous communities.
“Numerous tribal communities live together in the Dinajpur area. It is one of the dioceses where the Catholic presence is particularly strong, especially among these groups,” Tudu said.
“Among the Santal and Orao, we see great potential for evangelization. The Church in Dinajpur is growing and expanding year by year,” he added.
Priests, men and women religious, and catechists serve remote villages through evangelization, education, and programs supporting human development.
The prelate said missionary work often begins at the invitation of residents who want to learn about Christianity. “Our approach to evangelization primarily involves bringing initial evangelization and a first witness of faith to remote areas,” he said.
Residents who express interest enter a period of instruction that generally lasts at least a year. Priests and catechists regularly visit the villages to prepare catechumens for baptism and participation in Catholic life.
“After about a year, they can receive baptism; sometimes it takes longer, because we want them to be well-prepared,” Tudu said.
“They learn about the liturgy and the prayers and gain a deeper understanding of Christian life. In this way, we prepare for the establishment of a Christian community in a village,” he added.
Baptisms often involve groups of families rather than individuals. The diocese opens a new parish almost every year, he said, but limited resources can delay the construction of churches, rectories, and other parish facilities.
Most Catholics in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh belong to Indigenous communities, according to the bishop.
Bangladesh’s Constitution formally guarantees freedom of religion, including the right to profess, practice, and spread one’s faith.
The bishop said social and cultural factors may make Indigenous communities more open to Christianity, but the Gospel remains the main attraction.
The bishop said Catholics, Muslims, and followers of traditional Indigenous religions live peacefully in the villages of the diocese. They participate together in weddings, celebrations, village festivals, and other social and cultural activities.
“We have no problems with either the Muslims or the non-converted members of indigenous groups,” he said. “They all live together peacefully.”
The Diocese of Dinajpur was founded in 1927. Tudu said the diocese still needs support from the wider Catholic Church as its missionary work continues.
