Holy Cross educators from across Bangladesh gathered at St. Joseph Provincial House in Dhaka on Oct. 9 to reflect on their mission of accompanying young people through education rooted in faith, compassion, and a preferential option for the marginalized.
The seminar brought together Holy Cross brothers, priests and sisters connected to the St. Joseph Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Bangladesh to assess and deepen their pastoral and academic engagement across the country.
The gathering focused on educator formation, the charism and pedagogy of Holy Cross, and the academic work of its educational institutions.
Rooted in Mission and Gospel Values
The day-long reflection carried the theme, “Educators in the Faith & Option for the Underprivileged,” with discussions centered on the Church’s call to place the poor and vulnerable at the heart of Christian mission.
As Pope Francis emphasized in Evangelii Gaudium, “the worst discrimination which the poor suffer is the lack of spiritual care,” underscoring the role of holistic education in Gospel witness and social development.
The discussions were guided by representatives of the Holy Cross General Administration: Br. Prodip Placid Gomes, C.S.C., Second General Assistant; Fr. Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C., Third General Assistant; and Br. Bertrand Nee Wayoe, C.S.C., Fourth General Assistant.
Through prayer, thematic reflections and dialogue, participants revisited the vision of Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, who saw education as a means of restoring order and hope through faith and zeal.
Br. Prodip Placid Gomes, C.S.C., Second General Assistant of the Congregation of Holy Cross, said, “The seminar provided a vital space for Holy Cross educators to reaffirm our foundational mission—to form minds and hearts, ensuring that our schools remain places of living faith, inclusivity, and compassionate service to those most in need.”
A Tradition of Education in a Diverse Society
Catholics comprise less than 1 percent of Bangladesh’s population, while Catholic educational institutions operate through bodies including the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Catholic Education Board.
Holy Cross institutions serve predominantly Muslim student populations while also giving special consideration to Catholic, Buddhist, and ethnic minority students.
Among them is St. Joseph Higher Secondary School and College in Dhaka, which accommodates more than 2,500 students from third through 12th grade.
Originally founded with an English-medium curriculum, St. Joseph later adapted following Bangladesh’s independence to offer instruction under the National Curriculum in both Bengali and English.
The institution graduates hundreds of students each year while combining academic formation with humanistic and spiritual values.
Holy Cross institutions seek to pair academic formation with moral education while serving students from different religious and cultural backgrounds.
As the seminar concluded, participants reflected on the social and educational challenges facing their institutions and communities.
The gathering reaffirmed the role of Holy Cross educators in accompanying young people and responding to economic and social disadvantage through education and pastoral service.
