Noakhali is a parish under Chittagong Catholic Archdiocese erected on 1843 A.D. and dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. It has a Catholic population of about 2,500 at present. The parish Church is situated in the village Sonapur under Noakhali Sadar upazila. Distance to Noakhali parish from the Archdiocesan centre in Chittagong is close to 168 kilometers, a 4 hours ride by bus. The parish is under the pastoral care of diocesan priests and assisted by Holy Cross nuns. Archdiocesan pastoral coordinator Mr. Manik Willver D’Costa and his secretary in Chittagong office Mr. Jude Flavian Bala visited the parish on 25-26 March 2018 for a Lenten spiritual seminar.
The seminar took place on 26th March 2018 and attended by 55 parishioners (34 women, 13 men and 8 teens).
The seminar begins by a Eucharistic celebration in which the asst. pastor Rev. Sadhon Augustine Gregory was the main celebrant and concelebrated by the pastor Rev. Lintu Absalom Roy.
After the Mass, the participants reflected on the Lenten spirituality guided by Chittagong Archdiocesan pastoral coordinator Mr. Manik Willver D’Costa. The speaker gave reflection on ‘What is Lent?, Two folded meaning of Lent, Lent is a spring time for Catholics, Lenten Liturgy, Lenten abstinence and fasting, Why wearing ash?, Regulations of abstinence and fasting, Why forty days?’.
On request of the parishioners Mr. D’Costa also presented in brief the two sections of a
Eucharistic Celebration and real presence, transubstantiation & Eucharistic adoration.
The seminar ended by a thanks giving program and fellowship lunch at the rectory premise.
