Bishop Michael Savaranjan Baroi, the second Bengali Bishop of the Church of Bangladesh and the first Bishop of the Kushtia Diocese, passed away on May 17, 2025, at the age of 80. On May 18, the first memorial service was solemnly dedicated to him at St. Thomas Church, Moghbazar, at 11:00 a.m. Later, at 2:00 p.m., a Holy Communion service was held at the Church of Bangladesh Cathedral, led by the Honorable Moderator Bishop Samuel Sunil Mankhin and Deputy Moderator Bishop Sourabh Pholia.
He was laid to rest on the same day at the Narinda Christian Cemetery, beside the grave of the late Bishop Barnaba Dwijen Mondal, the first Bengali Bishop of the Church of Bangladesh. Three bishops of the Church of Bangladesh, the Synod Secretary, priests, and many other dignitaries were present at the services.
Bishop Baroi succeeded Bishop Barnaba Dwijen Mondal, whom he regarded as his spiritual teacher and elder brother. He was a devoted and exceptional priest who left a promising job at Glaxo in 1975 to pursue theological studies at Bishops College, Kolkata. He completed his Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.) in 1979 and returned to Bangladesh the same year. That year, he was ordained as a deacon in Dhaka and began serving as the assistant priest of the new St. Thomas’ Church center in Dhaka. He was later ordained as a priest at Christ Church in Chittagong on February 8, 1981.
After faithfully serving in various parishes, he was consecrated as the first Bishop of the Kushtia Diocese and the second Bengali Bishop of the Church of Bangladesh on November 30, 1990. Following the retirement of His Eminence Bishop Barnaba Dwijen Mondal in 2002, Bishop Baroi was appointed Bishop of Dhaka and Moderator of the Church of Bangladesh. He was formally installed on January 24, 2003, at the Dhaka Cathedral.
Bishop Michael Savaranjan Baroi retired in 2009 after 30 years of dedicated service to the Church, spirituality, and the Christian faith. He spent his retirement years in Dhaka with his family until his passing.
He was born on October 26, 1944, in the village of Narayankana. His father, the late Surendra Nath Baroi, was a schoolteacher and a catechist of the Church of Bangladesh. His mother was Nihar Kona Baroi. He married Mary Sunila Baroi on March 3, 1969. They had two sons, James Sunam Baroi and Henry Shantanu Baroi. Sunam is married and has a daughter and a son. Shantanu is also married and has a daughter and a son.
Members of the Church of Bangladesh from all walks of life remain eternally grateful to the late Bishop Baroi for his life of selfless dedication and faithful pastoral ministry. We offer our prayers for the eternal rest and peace of his soul.
