Missionary Nuns mark Anniversary in Bangladesh

(January 05, 2012) Religious Sisters from the Congregation of Our Lady of the Missions (RNDM) celebrated the 150th anniversary of the foundation of their order at their provincial headquarters in Dhaka, Bsangladesh on Wednesday. Around 400 Catholics including Archbishop Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka, Bishop Moses Costa of Chittagong, Bishop Bejoy D’Cruze of Sylhet, and the state minister for cultural affairs Promod Mankin attended the celebrations. The day included a Holy Eucharistic celebration and a cultural program. Archbishop D’Rozario told the gathering in his homily that the congregation has acquired many treasures to enrich the Church in days past. “The Congregation Sisters are keen to comply with Church teachings and are devoted in missionary spirit. We congratulate them on this anniversary,” the prelate said. The congregation has been running schools, orphanages and sewing centres, and has undertaken many pastoral ministries to serve people in Bangladesh since the arrival of the first missionary nuns in 1882. It has a total of 114 local and foreign nuns working from 15 convents in the country. Local superior Sister Prova Mary Karmoker said her congregation plans to set up an ‘RNDM Associate’ organization soon to involve laypeople in missionary services.