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Support a Formation Program at a Pastoral Center in Bangladesh The cost of running this program is far more than the diocese and the participants alone can afford. And so their bishop has turned to ACN for help for food and lodging, travel costs, educational materials and the basic expenses of the course tutors. There are some 200,000 Catholics in Bangladesh. They
represent a tiny minority of the more than 144 million people of the country,
which is over 90% Muslim. And the Church they are part of here is still young.
In the region of Mymensingh, she has only been present for about a hundred
years, and the diocese of the same name was established only in 1987. As a
result, much is still in a state of ongoing development, and in a country which
is among the poorest in the world, this development is all but impossible
without outside help. One major problem for the Church is the shortage of priests. The Catholic faithful live scattered over a wide area, and in many places a priest can only visit twice a year. Despite this, the Church is alive and dynamic, since it is able to rely on the commitment of religious women and the laity. In order to improve the formation of Sisters and lay leaders, the Diocese of Mymensingh has set up a three-year training program. The courses cover such things as the formation of basic communities, the liturgy, Eucharistic and Marian piety, praying the Rosary in the families, and enculturation of the Church, notably in the local indigenous culture of the Garo ethnic group. The idea is that from each of the 15 parishes of the diocese, one priest, one religious Sister or religious Brother, two catechists, one teacher, one youth representative and two children from Church boarding schools should take part in the courses. Since the pastoral center of the diocese can accommodate no more than 60 people, the courses will be held in two separate sessions. The cost of running this program is far more than the diocese and the participants alone can afford. And so their bishop has turned to ACN for help – for food and lodging, travel costs, educational materials and the basic expenses of the course tutors. We were happy to be able to promise a contribution of $8,100. Will you give to support this formation program for the young Church of Bangladesh?
Aid to the Church in Need commits to invest your funds where they will have the greatest impact for the Church that we serve. Funds donated to Aid to the Church in Need’s projects will be used towards the greatest need in our programs to help keep the Faith alive.
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Keeping the Faith Alive
