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Tributes for priest who died for Bangladesh

Marking the passing of missioner who was ' living saint'
Tributes for priest who died for Bangladesh
Catholic state minister for cultural affairs Promod Mankin (left) and Oblate Bishop Bejoy D
Published: November 15, 2011 08:13 AM GMT
Updated: November 15, 2011 08:35 AM GMT

On the 40th anniversary of his death, glowing tributes have been paid to Holy Cross Father William P. Evans, an American missioner priest who was killed by invaders in the 1971 liberation of Bangladesh. More than three hundred people packed St. Francis Xavier Church at Golla, south of Dhaka, for a remembrance service on the date of his death, November 13. Among the dignitaries were Abdul Mannan, state minister for housing and public works, Promod Mankin, Catholic state minister for cultural affairs and Oblate Bishop Bejoy D’Cruze of Sylhet. The missioner’s portrait was garlanded and 40 lamps were lit at the service, which was jointly organized by the Atharogram Regional Pastoral Council and Dhaka Archdiocese. Some speakers who addressed the gathering said Fr Evans should receive government recognition for his contribution during the war of liberation against Pakistan. There were also requests for local Church authorities to start seeking his canonization. “I’ve seen how people from all religions revered him,” said 62-year-old Kalipada Howlader, a Hindu. “He was a great person and he loved this country and its people very much.” Bishop D’Cruze, who hails from the parish of Golla, added that “Fr Evans was a living saint.” Born in Massachusetts USA in 1919, William Evans entered the Holy Cross congregation in 1941. He was ordained in 1945 and sent to West Pakistan - now Bangladesh - as a missioner the following year. After serving in various parts of the country, he became Golla’s parish priest and remained there for the rest of his days. He loved the Bengali people and, throughout the 1971 hostilities, he aided many refugees as they fled the invaders and gave moral and practical support to local freedom fighters. Unfortunately for Fr Evans, this did not go unnoticed by the Pakistan military. On November 13, they stopped his boat as he was going to offer Mass at a mission station upriver. When the boat reached the shore, he was knocked to the ground with a rifle butt, bayoneted several times and finally shot dead. His corpse was thrown in the river and carried several kilometers downstream, until it was recovered and returned to the Golla church compound. Thousands of Catholics, Muslims and Hindus of the area came to pay their respects at his burial. Albert Gomes was one of the freedom fighters who carried the priest’s body back to the church. Returning there on the 40th anniversary was especially poignant for him. “Even today, I can’t forget his ever smiling face and the encouragement he gave us,” he said.

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