Dinajpur (AsiaNews) – Last Friday, the Diocese of Dinajpur had the joy of seeing one of its own become the first local PIME missionary. Deacon Sukhen Dulal Tigga, 32, was ordained a priest by Bishop Sebastian Tudu.
The ordination was held in the Cathedral of St Francis Xavier in the presence of about a thousand people, including many priests and nuns. Yesterday, Fr Tigga celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving in his village of Rajarampur.
PIME missionaries have been carrying out their apostolate in Bengal since 1855. Fr Tigga, an ethnic Oraon, becomes the seventh PIME priest from a Bangladeshi diocese.
“Almighty God chooses people for his work. Sukhen Dulal Tigga was chosen to preach the Gospel,” Bishop Tudu said in his homily.
As he congratulated him, the prelate also urged him “to be an excellent priest and missionary,” adding that “PIME missionaries have made a huge contribution to this diocese and, now, we have a PIME missionary.”
Feeling proud for Fr Tigga, he described him as “a gift” who “will represent our diocese in the world. Our faithful will thus be with him when he goes to any country as a missionary. We shall offer him our support with prayers and love”.
"When I was a primary school student in Suihari, I saw the life of PIME missionaries,” the new PIME priest told AsiaNews. “Their selfless life attracted me to become a missionary myself. So I expressed my desire to Fr Fabrizio Calegari".
Fr Tigga also owes a lot to his paternal aunt, Nomita Tigga. “Since our family was poor, and our parents could not provide for our daily needs, my aunt paid for the school fees of all of us children,” he explained.
“She never married, and sacrificed her life for us, encouraging me to become a priest,” he said. “Her simple life dedicated to others was a source of inspiration for me."
After his priestly ordination, Fr Tigga will return to Italy where he will carry out his first service in missionary outreach with young people. "With young Italians I will share my testimony of faith," he explained.
Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country of about 165 million people. Christians are just 0.3 per cent of the population.
PIME missionaries baptised Fr Tigga’s grandparents, and his path is now going in the opposite direction.
"Once the Italian PIME priests came to us to preach the Gospel, now I will go to them as a missionary. I ask for your blessing and prayers," he said.
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