by Sumon Corraya

This year’s Vocations Exhibition was held at Dinajpur Cathedral. About a thousand students and thousands of faithful took part in the event. Two students have already found their vocation. Tribals heed the call to religious life. Catholics fund seminars.

Dhaka (AsiaNews) – The 2015 Vocations Exhibition was held at Dinajpur Cathedral over the weekend. Organised by the Diocesan Priests’ Fraternity and the Bangladesh Conference of the Religious, the event drew about 1000 students from the country’s schools and colleges.

One of the students was Nirmal Mardi, 15-year-old boy who has already discovered his priestly vocation. “I met many priests, brothers and nuns at the 2015 Vocations Exhibition,” he said. “I talked to them and I learnt a lot from their experience. I am attracted to their way of life and I dream of becoming a priest in the future.”

Another participant was Sumi Toppo, a tribal girl, who wants to become a nun and serve the needy. "I met some sisters and I listened to their stories,” she said. “They are doing an outstanding job for the needy: helping in hospitals, and teaching in schools. I want to be a sister and serve as they do."

Both of them heard Mgr Sebastian Tudu, bishop of the diocese of Dinajpur, as he opened the event, inviting those present to follow a religious and priestly life.

"We need many fathers, sisters and brothers to take care of the Church,” the prelate said. “Hence, I welcome you to the religious life. You will be happy in this life. Discover your calling! Religious life is a life of joy and blessing in which we preach the message of God and extend his Kingdom."

Thousands of people, including many priests, consecrated lay people and nuns visited the exhibition. Several associations and religious congregations put on display pictures, paintings and publications.

The organiser, Fr Kajol Costa, told AsiaNews that the event is held every year in Bangladesh. The diocese of Dinajpur was chosen this year because "religious vocations are increasing in tribal communities and the Catholic Diocese of Dinajpur is the largest in the tribal areas."

"The goal of the exhibition on vocations is to inform young people about religious and priestly life, about what is done and how to serve. We encourage everyone to take this path,” Fr Kajol said. “Similar events were highly successful [in the past], and we now have more students in our seminar and schools."

The priest noted that whilst there is a decline in vocations among Bengalis, tribal communities are a growing source for candidates in seminars and religious schools.

Fr Dilip S. Costa, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, noticed the same trend. In fact, "Once missionaries came to Bangladesh from abroad. Now local priests and nuns go abroad on the mission."

Speaking on this year’s World Day of Vocations, the clergyman said that vocations are in sharp decline in developed countries, so many Bangladeshi brothers and sisters are involved in missionary work in the developed world.

In 2014, Bangladeshi Catholics contributed 347,000 taka (about US$ 4,500) to seminars and schools.

• bangladesh
• 2015
• vocations
• exhibition