Dear Friends,
Last year I went to Jobarpar for celebrating Christmas. Before Christmas we dedicated a new church at Rajapur, near Bisharkandi [See News]. We don’t have big congregation there but two families taken the initiative to build a church. The Halder family gave a piece of land and has raised necessary fund from friends and our churches. Finally, it was dedicated on 23rd December named by ‘Emmanuel Church’. There was a good numbers of people attended the dedication service including Roman Catholic and Baptist. I did not know that in that area there are many Christians. We hired an open motor boat from ‘Paisarhat’ to Sheetpur and walked to Rajapur with two sisters of CSS. As a whole it was a wonderful experience for all of us.
On 25th December Christmas Day I took service in the morning at St. Mary’s Church, Jobarpar and then traveled to Dhamsar parish, my own village and led another service at noon time. After the Charismas feast quickly I departed for Dhaka, because my daughter got sick and I need to be there with my wife for arranging her treatment. When I had arrived Dhaka it was 12 p.m.
This year from February 14 to 24 I attended three annual revival meetings of Haluaghat, Ballovepur and Jobarpar Deaneries. In the revival meeting of Jobarpar deanery at Kaligram we ordained three deacons those who have been working as catechists (Readers) for some years. Hope they will be good priests for the rural parishes. They are Mr. James Baroi from Barisal, Mr. Cornelius from Karpasdanga and Mr Adhir Gathia from Kaligram. The weather was very good during this time with cold and rain but all these three meeting were participated by a good number of devotees.
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I am so privileged that in last month, 10th to 24th March, I had a nice visit to Germany, Rome and England even though the weather was not good at all for me in any of these countries during this time. Our Mission Partners met in Kassel, Germany and I have attended it. Then, I have participated in a course on ‘Journey to the Empty Tomb’ of the Anglican Centre in Rome and finally I attend the Enthronement of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby in Canterbury, England. I was fortunate that unexpectedly I met His Grace the new Pope Francis 1, just the following day of his election. I also got opportunity to shake hand with him with few others at Domus Internationalist Paulus.
The enthronement programme of the new Archbishop of Canterbury went well and most of the primates were present there. We hope His grace Archbishop Justin will bring some new dimension in the Anglican world with his enthusiasm and practical ideas. The new Pope and new Archbishop probably will try their best to do something in favour of the marginalized and poor of the Christian world and beyond as I have understood their messages.
Please pray for us and for the country. We believe that Easter brings hope and a new life over the shadow of darkness and death in our personal and corporate life. Love and Grace of God is more powerful than the evil power. And it will enable to transform human kind and society to bring a new life.
Easter Seasonal Greetings to You All!
In Christ,
Rt. Rev. Paul S. Sarker
Bishop of Dhaka and Moderator
Church of Bangladesh
