“You Will Silently Reside In My Heart” In Memory of Late Brother Harold Bijoy Rodrigues, C.S.C. By Brother Binoy Stephen Gomes, C.S.C.
Brother Bijoy Rodrigues, C.S.C. (1958 - 2020) Photo courtesy: facebook.com/BrotherBijoyRodrigues
Today is Friday, May 23, 2020. Many people are dying during these unprecedented and trying times amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Amongst all the adversities caused by this pandemic, an authentic person, a true Religious and a prominent educationist, Br. Harold Bijoy Rodrigues, C.S.C., died — not having contracted the virus — but due to an incurable disease. Bro. Bijoy was someone who promoted the unique vocation of a Holy Cross Brother at home and abroad, appeared like a saviour during hard times in the local Catholic Church, and ignited the candle of education, especially, by showing us the dream of establishing a Catholic university in Bangladesh. The Congregation of Holy Cross, especially the
Holy Cross Brothers, and Bangladesh Catholic Church, are deeply mourning because of his early death. I am deeply shocked as well because starting from my school life, Br. Bijoy was my close friend for 46 years of Religious life. “He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces;..... The LORD has spoken.” (Isiah 25:8) In 1978, Br. Bijoy and I were sent to St. Joseph Technical School, at Narinda of Dhaka, on a three-month training program. We resided at St. Joseph’s High School Campus, Mohammadpur, Dhaka. We had to go to the technical school everyday on bicycles. Two American Voluntary Service engineers worked at the technical school at that time. One of them was Michael, who used to call us “terrible twins.” In his opinion, Br. Bijoy and I looked alike. Some American Fathers and Brothers would often mix up our names. Fathers, Brothers and Sisters in other countries would make the same mistake as well. One day, after receiving an email, Br. Bijoy candidly asked me, “Whom did you send the email to?” In one of my emails to Br. Bijoy, I addressed him “Binoy.” Similarly, Br. Bijoy, in one of his emails, addressed me “Bijoy.” We always called each other by “Tumi” (‘you’ -- a less formal way of addressing someone in Bengali). It’s hard for me to express in words how I felt when I first came to know about his sickness in October, 2019. It felt like I was struck by lightning. Since then I had been regularly praying for his recovery. I am still not able to comprehend God’s will in Br. Bijoy’s life and the mystery of his death. Br. Bijoy was born on July 7, 1958, at Nagori Village of Nagori Parish in Gazipur District. His father is the late Knight Vincent Rodrigues and mother is Emilia Rozario. He had six brothers and five sisters. Three of Br. Bijoy’s brothers died -- two during their infancy and one as an adult. Br. Bijoy’s father Knight Vincent was a great teacher at St. Nicholas High School, Nagori. He was a disciplined and pious man. Besides carrying the responsibilities of the Assistant Headmaster, he made great contributions to the society by engaging in various social welfare activities. Br. Bijoy’s mother is a housewife who is crippled by her old age. She is a very humble, pious, soft-spoken and simple woman. Br. Bijoy was brought up in an extended family where daily rosary prayer was a special ornament. All of his family members attended daily eucharistic celebration almost every single day. Br. Bijoy’s uncle Mr. Jerome Rodrigues worked at Caritas Bangladesh, and his aunt Mary Rodrigues was a teacher. His other aunt, Miss Lucy Rodrigues (now 97 years old), lives in Br. Bijoy’s family as well. Miss Lucy taught
at Holy Family School run by the Salesian Sisters in Mymensingh for 40 years. Br. Bijoy has three cousin brothers and five cousin sisters. His Education Br. Bijoy studied at Nagori Catholic Primary School and St. Nicholas High School. Later he went to Notre Dame College, Dhaka, and passed H.S.C. in the Science Group. In 1980, he completed a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Arts from the Institute of Education and Research (I.E.R.) of the Dhaka University (DU) and a B.Ed. degree from Dhaka Teachers’ Training College of the Dhaka University. In addition, he obtained an M.S.A. (Masters of Science in Administration) from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, U.S.A. and a Ph. D from the University of Incarnate Word, Texas, U.S.A. in 2009. He was the first Holy Cross Brother from Bangladesh to have obtained a PhD. The focus of his research was to explore and examine the feasibility of establishing a Catholic university in Bangladesh. His PhD. Thesis on establishing a new university provides the Bangladesh Catholic Church and society with some guidelines and instructions on the matter. He was a very good student. He was given a double promotion in his primary school. His handwriting was excellent both in Bengali and English. While he was studying in the 9th grade, the 10th grade Math teacher would often call for him to teach the 10th grade boys. Entry Into the Religious Life In 1971, Br. Bijoy entered Holy Cross Juniorate at Nagori, as an 8 th grader. In 1974, he went to St. Joseph High School Campus, Mohammadpur, to attend the college-level formation in Religious life. In 1976, he entered the Holy Cross Aspirancy. He entered Holy Cross Novitiate at Barisal, on January 17, 1977, and professed his first vows of Religious life on January 20, 1978. He professed his perpetual vows on December 31, 1984, and celebrated the silver jubilee of his Religious life in 2003.
His Apostolic Work
Holy Cross High School, Bandura: After receiving his first vows, Br. Bijoy worked at Bandura Holy Cross High School as an assistant teacher. He then returned to the Holy Cross Aspirancy at Narinda to continue to provide the students with his formative teachings. St. Joseph Technical School, Narinda: Since Br. Bijoy had a degree in Industrial Arts from Dhaka University, he was skilled in technical matters. He sincerely carried out his ministry at the technical school in different terms (1983 - 1994, 2003 – 2004 & 2018 until his death) as a teacher and the Principal. Late Bro. Donald Becker, C.S.C. was very happy to hand over the responsibility of the technical school to Bro. Bijoy. Even after becoming sick, Bro. Bijoy continued his ministry at the technical school from September 2019 to May 2020. The technical school enhanced its progress under Bro. Bijoy’s guidance and leadership. As the Vice Provincial/Provincial of the Holy Cross Brothers: Br. Bijoy was a skilled administrator. He carried out the responsibility of a Vice Provincial of St. Joseph’s Province (SJP) in Bangladesh from 1994 to 1998, and later he became the Provincial for the term of 1998 - 2003. Once again, he was elected as the Provincial for the second term from 2012 - 2018. Altogether, he performed the job of the Provincial of St. Joseph’s Province for fifteen years. Member of the Caritas Bangladesh Governing Body & Secretary: Br. Bijoy was the member of the Caritas Bangladesh Governing Body from 2010 to 2020. He was a skilled secretary as well. He sincerely played the role of the general secretary of Caritas Bangladesh until he became sick. As a token of appreciation and gratitude, Caritas endowed Br. Bijoy with the title “Neyopal” (Ombudsman). General Council Member, Rome, Italy: Br. Bijoy was the very first Holy Cross Brother to have worked at the General Council of the Congregation of Holy Cross. He worked in Rome, Italy, from 2004 to 2010 as a general council member, and simultaneously he was pursuing a PhD programme in America. In addition, he was a member of the Congregational Finance Committee for the term of 1998 - 2004. Bangladesh Conference of the Religious (B.C.R.), Savar: As the President of the B.C.R., he worked for five years in various positions. During his tenure, the main buildings were constructed at Savar. Besides carrying out the responsibility of the Provincial of the SJP, he would often go to Savar to supervise construction work. While doing this work, he had to risk his life due to innumerable extortionist threats from local mastans (bullies). Till the end of his life, he was profoundly
associated with the B.C.R. The assigned Sisters (nuns) there greatly relied on him for various tasks. Counsellor of Various Religious Orders: Br. Bijoy generously responded to the needs of various Religious orders of Priests, Brothers, and especially Sisters. He always gave technical and other support to various Religious orders. He played the role of a moderator of many general chapters of these orders. In addition, he facilitated various Orders in writing their histories and constitutions. Work for Drug Rehabilitation: Br. Bijoy was the director of Bangladesh Rehabilitation and Assistance Center for Addicts (BARACA) from 1994 to 2004. Br. Robi Theodore Purification, C.S.C., was given the responsibility after Br. Bijoy had finished his term. Later, he functioned as the chairman of the governing body of the BARACA from 2010 until his death. In addition, he was chairman of the governing body of the APON from 2019 until his death. Even during his sickness, he worked as the governing body chairman of these two institutions. Young Christian Workers’ Movement (YCW): This movement was started by Cardinal Joseph Cardijn in 1912 in Belgium. The goal of this movement was to train workers in practising and preaching gospel values and helping them adapt to their office and work places. In 1925, this movement achieved recognition from the Belgium government and it was approved by the Bishop of Belgium. In addition, Pope Paul VI supported this movement. Gradually this movement spread around the world. There has been an attempt to promote Christian values and principles in work places through this movement. The workers use the motto of see, judge and act. While Br. Bijoy was the Principal of St. Joseph Technical School, he started a movement for the young Bangladeshi Christian workers so that they would be able to adhere and live by the Christian values and principles in their work- places. In addition, he helped form some cells of this movement in different dioceses. He was the chaplain of this movement for many years. Assisting in various local Catholic Church activities: Br. Bijoy altruistically contributed to various activities of the church. During Pope John Paul II’s visit to Bangladesh in 1986, Br. Bijoy and I were the members of the Liturgy Committee. Br. Bijoy was the secretary of this committee. Br. Bijoy and I were quite busy carrying all the necessary tools and equipment to the Army Stadium in Dhaka for the papal gathering. We could not meet the pope though there was an opportunity
for the Liturgy Committee members to meet him. Prior to Pope Francis’ papal visit to Bangladesh in 2017, Br. Bijoy wrote projects, contacted various ministries of the government and answered to various diplomatic questions of our media and other sectors with great sincerity. In addition, he helped set up the main stage at the Suhrawardy Udyan and got two special wooden chairs manufactured for the Pope and the local Cardinal . Br. Bijoy as a Headmaster/Principal: Due to his poor health condition, Br. Marcel Duchesne, C.S.C., had to be sent back to Canada when he was the Headmaster of St. Gregory’s High School. In his absence, Br. Bijoy took over the responsibility of the school as the acting Headmaster. In addition, after completing his PhD studies, he returned to Bangladesh and took over the responsibility of St. Joseph Higher Secondary School, Mohammadpur, as the Vice Principal and later as the Principal from 2010 to 2012. He acted as the governing body chairman of various schools for many years. He was the governing body chairman for St. Gregory’s High School & College, Luxmibazar, for 12 years and St. Joseph Higher Secondary School for 11 years. In addition, he was the secretary of Bangladesh Catholic Education Board Trust from 2011 to 2016. He extensively studied and researched the educational philosophy of the Congregation of Holy Cross and enlightened the teachers of various schools and colleges in this regard through conducting workshops and seminars. Qualities of Brother Bijoy A Man of Dexterity: Bro. Bijoy was a versatile genius. He had mastery over composing songs and singing. In addition, he could play the flute, mouth organ, harmonium, and tabla. He was always inquisitive and wanted to learn new things. He discovered and nurtured his creative and versatile genius through exploring and embarking on new things. Besides, riding motorcycles, he could drive cars as well. In 1978, he likely played tabla for our national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. As a Juniorate boy, he used to give haircuts to other boys. In addition, he was skilled in drawing and cooking. He designed the metal anchor cross worn by Holy Cross priests and Brothers and made it first at St. Joseph Technical School, Narinda. He also designed and made the logo for the 150 th Anniversary of the arrival of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Bengal which has been set up at St. Joseph Higher Secondary School. A Brilliant Writer & Translator: Br. Bijoy was a brilliant writer and a skilled translator. His prose, poetry, and songs were published in various magazines,
Weekly Pratibeshi, and other newspapers and magazines. He skilfully translated many important documents of the Catholic Church into Bengali. He was involved in translating Pope Francis’ second encyclical “Laudato Si” and his post-synodal apostolic exhortation “Christ is Alive”. In addition, he translated the document “Identity and Mission of the Religious Brother in the Church” into Bengali which was published by “Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life”. When I was the Provincial of St. Joseph’s Province, I requested Bro. Bijoy to write an education policy handbook for the Brothers. He gracefully accepted my request and wrote a suitable handbook which reflects the educational philosophies of the Catholic Church and the Congregation of Holy Cross. A Man of Prayer: Holy Cross Brothers have the obligation to attend daily prayers, meditation and eucharistic celebration. Br. Bijoy highly emphasized the importance of a prayerful life. In spite of being a busy person, Br. Bijoy sincerely prayed every day and exhorted all the Brothers to be faithful in their prayer life. A Model of Religious Life: Br. Bijoy was a model of consecrated life. He was faithful to his Religious vows. While he was pursuing his PhD in the U.S.A., his laptop crashed. Though he had money to buy a new one, he asked for my permission. He was able to save some money from the scholarship of his PhD program. He informed me about it and asked me what could be done with that money. Straightforward Person: Br. Bijoy was a straightforward person. He wanted to make sure that people did not have any misconceptions about the vocation of Religious brotherhood. If any important person forgot to address the Brothers during a meeting or seminar, he would remind them to address the Brothers properly. He always strove to establish the honour and presence of the Brothers in our society and Church. Love for Games & Sports: Br. Bijoy was a good basketball player and his height gave him an extra advantage. He was one of the top five basketball players of the former C.S.C. basketball team composed of Holy Cross seminarians and Brothers. He was good at playing volleyball as well. During our novitiate days we played against various teams in Barisal and won. A Bookworm: Br. Bijoy loved to read both English and Bengali books. His room was full of books. Reading English novels was his passion.
Mastery of English Language: Br. Bijoy was well-versed in English. I assume he mastered this language through reading many English books. He once said that he gave one of his articles to Br. Thomas Moore, C.S.C. (An American missionary in Bangladesh and an English teacher) for proofreading. However, Br. Thomas did not find any error in the article and applauded Br. Bijoy for his English writing skills. Prior to publishing any official documents, I would ask Br. Bijoy to read them for necessary feedback. Love for Fishing: Br. Bijoy loved fishing with a hook and line. It was his hobby and most likely an obsession. He had all the necessary tools and accessories for fishing such as fishing rod and reel, line, hooks, bait, bobbers, sinkers, etc. During his visits in the U.S.A., he used to go fishing and bought necessary fishing tools, too. I assume he used to go on a day-long fishing trip to get a break from his monotonous and stressful work. It gave him mental solace and peace. Once, I went fishing with him in Noakhali. Confronting Land & Property Problems in Diang: The Government of Bangladesh acquired a large portion of the Brothers’ land in Diang and gave it to a Korean Company. Br. Bijoy and Br. Joachim worked day and night to revert this acquisition of land because many Christian families were losing their family habitats. Be it day or night, Br. Bijoy had to go to Diang many times for this purpose. This crisis was a big blow and a moment of agony for the entire Province especially for Brothers Bijoy and Joachim. Being the Provincial, he once could not go to the Novitiate in Barisal for the first profession ceremony. He had to go to Diang for urgent land-related work. I was at the Novitiate at that time, and Br. Bijoy asked me to receive vows on his behalf. Until he died, he wholeheartedly tried to revert the acquisition of this six-acre piece of land. My Experience with Brother Bijoy I could frankly share a lot of things with Br. Bijoy. After he finished his term as the Provincial, I took over the responsibility. During my tenure as the Provincial, I used to consult with him before making important decisions. I used to share province related plans with him. He also used to share various important matters with me. In 1991, while working at St. Joseph Technical School, Narinda, Br. Bijoy got permission to do a special course at the University of Notre Dame, U.S.A. At that time, I was working at St. Gregory’s High School. He told me, “Let’s go
together and do the course.” I did not agree, because, in the same year, construction work would be started at the Holy Cross Aspirancy in Narinda. The late Br. Patrick D’Costa, C.S.C. asked me to help him. This was the reason I did not want to go to the U.S.A. with Bro. Bijoy. I entered Holy Cross Juniorate at Nagori, on January 4, 1974, to become a Holy Cross Brother. Entering Juniorate, I met Br. Bijoy. Since then, we had been walking together. Since I was the only one from Atharogram region, Br. Bijoy used to take me to his house during holidays and vacations. His family and his uncle’s family used to live in an extended family situation. Br. Bijoy’s parents, uncles and aunts loved me a lot. They all accepted me as one of their family members. The little ones in the family used to address me as Binoy Da (a term for addressing an elder brother). For all these reasons, I felt at home with Br. Bijoy’s family. After completing the Secondary School Certificate (S.S.C.) exams in 1974, Br. Bijoy and I went to St. Joseph Higher Secondary School, Mohammadpur. We pursued our college studies at Notre Dame College from there. He and I went for the admission test together. We both were students of the science group. Br. Bijoy continued his studies at the Science Group and I switched to the Commerce Group. In January, 1977, we went to the Holy Cross Novitiate at Barisal by the motor launch, named Samad. We successfully completed our Novitiate year and took our first vows on January 20, 1978. We were given a two-week long vacation. We decided that we would spend our first week at Nagori and Br. Bijoy would introduce me to his family members and relatives. Similarly, we would spend our second week at Atharogram and I would introduce Br. Bijoy to my relatives and receive their blessings. We spent our vacation exactly as planned. After pronouncing our first vows, Br. Bijoy was assigned at Holy Cross High School, Bandura, and I was assigned at St. Nicholas High School, Nagori. After six months, we again came back to Holy Cross Aspirancy, Narinda. Then, we both got admitted at Jogonnath College for a bachelor’s degree. After a few months, Br. Bijoy got admitted to the Dhaka University in Industrial Arts and successfully completed his studies. Br. Bijoy taught me how to ride a motorcycle in 1977. We were novices at that time. Sunday was our day off. Br. Bijoy and I went to Mr. Luke Shikdar’s home, because Br. Bijoy’s uncle, Mr. Jerome Rodrigues, used to live there. He was the Regional Director of Caritas, Barisal, at that time. Br. Bijoy took his
motorcycle, and we went to the field close to Nobogram. In that field, Br. Bijoy taught me how to ride a motorcycle. We had been to many places together at home and abroad. We were at countless meetings together, but we never argued or misbehaved with each other. I have no clue if he had ever been hurt because of my behaviour.
Last Words Brother Bijoy, your early departure from us is a big loss for our Congregation, Church and society. Like everyone else, I am deeply shocked as well. Along the journey of my life, you were my close friend. You walked with me during times of joys and sorrows, laughter and happiness. Your religious life, apostolic life and human life is a tale of success. Having accepted the satisfaction of our friendship and with a heavy heart, I want to tell you, “Goodbye, my friend. We shall meet again in the heavenly Father’s Abode. I am counting down every moment to reunite with you.” Your elder brother, Mr. Chitto Rodrigues, wrote an article for the weekly Pratibeshi after your father had passed away. He quoted prophet Job, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21). With a heavy heart, I would like to say in the same tone, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Translated into English, by Brother Jony Gregory, C.S.C., from the original Bengali language article, published in the weekly Pratibeshi : Dhaka -- June 7-13, 2020)
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