Dora D'Rozario, the pioneer who brought the Ordo Virginum to Dhaka
In 1985, she was the first in Bangladesh to embrace this vocation, reintroduced after the Second Vatican Council and now practised by eleven women in the country. For more than 40 years, Dora has served in providing spiritual direction, offering family guidance, and translating Church documents into Bengali. In her testimony on today's World Day for Consecrated Life, she said: “when we give everything to others, we receive everything in return”.
Dhaka (AsiaNews) – In a country where Catholics constitute a tiny minority and vocations to religious life usually take traditional forms, Dora D'Rozario quietly charted a unique path.
More than 40 years ago, she was the first local Catholic to live her vocation in the ordo virginum, an ancient form of consecrated life reintroduced after the Second Vatican Council.
Now 65, D'Rozario first made her profession on 16 May 1985. Bangladesh currently has eleven consecrated virgins, many of whom consider her both a mentor and a spiritual mother.
Hers is a particularly poignant story on this day when the Church marks the World Day for Consecrated Life, on the liturgical feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.
In Bangladesh, the Church honoured her unique contribution on 24 January by presenting her at St Mary's Cathedral in Dhaka with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross, a pontifical honour personally approved by Pope Leo XIV, presented by Archbishop Bejoy N.'D Cruze.
Dora D'Rozario's journey has always closely combined contemplation and action.
For decades, she lived fully in the world, outside a convent, experiencing her vocation as a consecrated nun in the Ordo Virginum. During this time, she taught catechism, led retreats, accompanied families, offered spiritual direction, and supported training programmes in the Archdiocese of Dhaka.
Her days are marked by simple fidelity: daily Mass, hours of prayer, and a constant willingness to accompany anyone seeking spiritual or emotional support.
One of her most significant contributions is Bethany Dhyanasram, a house of prayer and residence she helped build in Padrikanda, in the parish of Golla. D'Rozario personally donated the land and, brought the project to life with donations from around the world.
Inaugurated on 27 August 2022 by Archbishop Bejoy Cruze, the residence currently is home to three consecrated virgins but can accommodate up to 15. It has quickly become a spiritual refuge not only for consecrated women, but also for lay faithful seeking silence, prayer, and counsel.
Fr Milton Denis Corraya, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Dhaka, speaking about the papal honour, explained that it reflects the profound impact her vocation has had on the whole Church in Bangladesh.
He highlighted her service in charismatic renewal, ascetic life groups, translation projects, and pastoral programmes.
Her work quietly healed fragile families, supported priests and religious in times of crisis, and offered a lifeline to people who had nowhere else to turn.
“She played a great role in spiritual direction,” he explained, noting her profound life of prayer and unwavering devotion to the Church.
Fr Milton also stressed her contribution to important translation initiatives, including working on Bengali editions of the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Her service, he said, reflects not only a theological commitment, but a profound love for the people of God.
“For her virtuous service, several families have been saved from breakdown or reunited. Many seminarians and nuns have been able to continue their religious life. She has an immense love for the Catholic Church.”
Auxiliary Bishop Subroto B. Gomes echoed these sentiments, praising the constant service of this consecrated woman from the Archdiocese of Dhaka to the Liturgical Commission and her impact through counselling and education.
For her part, Dora D'Rozario accepted the honour with her customary simplicity. “I am very happy to receive this special honour," she said. “I think that when we give everything to others, we receive everything in return by the law of nature. After coming to this life, I really received everything. I did not have to worry about anything. Jesus himself gave me everything.”
She extended a heartfelt invitation to young Catholic women to consider the vocation of consecrated virginity, encouraging them to discover the joy and freedom of belonging entirely to Christ while serving society.
Rina Kujur, a current member of the Ordo Virginum, described the joy shared by the entire group. “We are very happy and inspired that a member of our association has received this honour from the pope," she said. “We are also inspired to do good work like Dora,” she added.
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