Fr Speziale’s mission, to transform the lives of the marginalised poor
Dhaka (AsiaNews) – “I am studying at St Angela’s Catholic Elementary School. I want to become an engineer. My parents are poor but I can get an education thanks to Fr Arturo’s help,” said Shubonkor Das, 16, one of the many poor kids who can get a good education and hope in a better future for themselves and their families thanks to Fr Arturo Speziale of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), who runs a elementary school and a boys’ home.
Rita Biswas is unemployed; her husband is ill and unemployed as well. She has three children and cannot pay tuition fees for Joy, 12. However, her son is studying at the St Angela’s Catholic School and staying at the St Joseph’s Home for Boys. Joy said that when he grows up he wants to be a priest.
Ratna Biswas, 12, lives in Khulna diocese. She lost her mother to cancer years ago. Her father is old and cannot pay for her studies. She goes to St Angela’s Catholic School as well, and stays at the St Angela’s Home for Girls. She says she wants to be a nun like the sisters who take care of them.
Simon Roy is only 8 years old. He comes from a poor family in Sylhet district. He too is studying at St Angela’s. He too has a dream, become a doctor and help the sick.
Fr Speziale told AsiaNews that he has two homes for children in Utholi, a subcentre of the Manikgonj Mission, an area that covers five villages. Some 50 girls live at the St Angela’s Home for Girls, plus two nuns and five employees. At St Joseph’s there are 55 boys.
Fr Speziale remembers that he came here “in 1995-96. At that time, there were six Catholic families in Aricha Ghat, 120 kilometres from Dhaka, whom no one cared for. Fr Dotti of PIME and Fr Dominic visited a few times a year and celebrated Mass.”
“In 1999, Fr Dominic asked me if I could help him in Aricha, Uthali and Jaynagar. I started in August 1999.” At that time, “there were many Baptists but on 26 January 2001 many came into the Catholic Church,” he said.
“In February 2002, we started a small free course for girls in a rented house. After that, we put up a building, which was inaugurated in October 2003 in a ceremony presided by Mgr Theotonius Gomes”.
“On 25 May 2005, Archbishop Michael Rosario laid the first stone of St Angela’s Elementary School. On 16 January, 2006, Archbishop Paulinus Costa inaugurated the St Angela’s Elementary School in Shoshnara, half a kilometre from the St Angela’s Home for Girls.”
“We started the school in 2006 with 60 students until Grade 3. In 2008, we accepted 107 students. This year we are up to Grade 10.”
“The area covers five villages, Jainpur, Dhusor, Goaria, Rahatpur and Teroshree. It is a tribal area. There used to be 20 Catholic families; now there are 130 families.”
There are also many problems. At least 60 families lost their land due to erosion caused by the river and have been living on the rough outdoors. “We try to help them,” the priest said.
“We would like to have more students in our homes, but we do not have the financial means. We need US$ 130,000 a year to help the students already there. All of them are from poor and marginalised families. It will be hard to help them without economic assistance. I ask everyone to pray for the urgent needs of these poor people and for our missionary work.”
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02/08/2007
14/09/2021 12:41
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