Br. Lenin Emmanuel Costa, C.S.C., and Br. Partho Urban Palma, C.S.C., made their Final Professions in the Congregation of Holy Cross on Friday, 16 January, in a Mass held in the auditorium of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB) in Dhaka. Their vows were received by Br. Ripon James Gomes, C.S.C., Superior of the St. Joseph Province to which both brothers belong.

The celebrations had actually begun the previous day, 15 January, with a time of Adoration, which began with the Br. Lenin and Br. Partho ceremonially brought before the altar along with their parents. The day concluded with Mongalusthan and the blessing of the candidates.

The Most Rev. Subrata Boniface Gomes, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Dhaka, presided at the Mass of Final Profession the following morning. In his homily, he reflected on the meaning and responsibility of consecrated life, highlighting the importance of serving all people.

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“Brothers do not work only for Christians, but serve all people equally, regardless of race, religion, or social background. The Catholic Church is a universal Church that embraces everyone, and this universality is made visible through the dedicated service of the brothers,” said Bishop Gomes.

In addition, the families of Br. Lenin and Br. Partho, the Mass drew a large crowd, including around 15 priests, 30 sisters, and 120 brothers from various congregations, as well as many local faithful.

Following Mass, there was a joyful reception, including cultural dances, presentations of citations and gifts, personal reflections from the newly finally professed, heartfelt messages from their parents, and some concluding remarks from Br. Gomes.

Br. Partho Urban Palma, C.S.C., comes from Dhaka, Bangladesh. He professed First Vows on 24 July 2020. Br. Partho had ministry experiences at Our Lady of Fatima Church and Mercy Home in Chennai, India, and taught at St. Placid and St. Nicholas Schools and Colleges in Bangladesh. His experience in working with the elderly at the Mercy Home significantly influenced him. He said, “Many of the [elderly] felt lonely and forgotten. I imagined my own old age and felt a strong zeal in my heart to dedicate myself more fully to serving the needy and the poor.” Partho graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Loyola College, India. He has a special devotion to Our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph.

Br. Lenin Immanuel Costa, C.S.C., was born in Tiria, Dhaka, in Bangladesh. He took First Vows on 27 October 2017. Besides the required philosophical and theological studies, which he did at the Holy Spirit Institute of Theology, Br. Lenin earned a Bachelor of Social Science in Sociology from ASA University in Bangladesh. Ministry brought Br. Lenin to work with people of different religious faiths, including Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. The interfaith encounter “has profoundly shaped my understanding of dialogue, respect, and the universality of human dignity.” Encountering people of different cultural backgrounds has also “affirmed by belief that the mission of Holy Cross [calls] us to be signs of hope, compassion and unity in a diverse and often divided world.”