Martyr in Bangladesh

Chapter 6. A Ray of Hope and Joy

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The deep wells for irrigation are under construction, through the work and dedication of Fr. Valeriano Cobbe

There was so much to do, as Father Cobbe wrote in so many letters to his family and benefactors: “I have managed to give work to about a thousand laborers a day thanks to the sale of rice and some loans; three building projects are underway: a maternity center, a sewing school for the women and a dispensary. I am also supervising the construction of a house for the sisters. The harvest is abundant and everyone is happy. The peasants are better organized this time and, thanks to a substantial deposit, we will be able to continue with the irrigation project. There is a great sense of hope and faces shine with joy; our tractors are also working hard. The children come to school barefoot and dressed in last year’s clothes. Things have worked out well so far thanks to the generosity of so many good people”.

His family and friends in Italy were worried by the news about his health; in a letter to his parents on December 7, 1973, he wrote: “My heart has been giving me some trouble, but treatment and a little rest have made me better and I am now working as usual”. He went back to digging wells, building a school and huts for poor families, a house for the sisters and a welfare center.

The voluntary organization “Mani Tese” sent one of its representatives, Aldo Bernabei, on a visit. He was impressed by what he saw: “Shimulia, which used to be a semi-deserted village, is now a flourishing center, thanks to the work of Father Valerian Cobbe. He has founded a cooperative of 215 peasants who look after about 150 acres of irrigated land with three harvests per year instead of the single meager harvest of previous years. Four wells have been opened so far, each one of them irrigates about 30 acres of ground for rice growing. With the forthcoming opening of three new wells financed by Mani Tese (the first four were financed by Misereor), the irrigated land will be extended to about 200 acres.

Of course, much work still needs to be done, but it must be recognized that Father Cobbe’s work is both positive and profitable. The only weak point, if we can call it that, is the prominent role played by Father Cobbe in the whole enterprise. This could lead to the activity slowing down should he for any reason be prevented from personally supervising the projects. It is my opinion that the projects in Shimulia deserve continued and close attention and should be supported in every way possible”.

Dreaming of 500 Wells

The money arrived and he set up a commission of collaborators to ensure that it would be properly used. There was so much, too much, work to be done, and Valerian Cobbe faced it with his customary tenacity. He faced the problems head on, even to the neglect of his own health. He continued to ask for help: he needed cement, fuel and some way of getting pumps transported from Germany. Three cooperatives were founded for women: sewing, craftwork and weaving. Prices had risen sharply after the war and many people could not attend church because they had nothing to wear.

All the Christians, Hindus and Muslims have been invited to participate in the agriculture project. It offers them the opportunity to pull down the longstanding barriers that divide them. In my eyes they are all equal; all of them, without distinction, are my parishioners.
Fr. Valerian Cobbe

Through his resilience he moved mountains, overcoming the resignation, fatalism and desperation of the people who had given up hope. He thought big and proved the skeptics wrong. He dreamed of 500 wells that would provide food and water for everyone. He worked relentlessly to make this dream come true and made the men, women and children work too. He was in a hurry, almost as if he had a foreboding of the little time he had left. One of his poor people said that many people had helped them, but only Father Cobbe actually taught them how to work.

Another added: “The obstacles that Father Cobbe had to face and overcome to achieve his goals would have discouraged even the most enthusiastic person: the reluctance of the peasants, the doubts and hesitation of his helpers and, above all, the hatred of those who exploited the poor. These were the people who suffered the harshest treatment at the hands of Father Cobbe”.

“They have tried my patience to the limit”, he once confessed. But he continued on. He wanted progress, dignity and unity for his people. “All the Christians, Hindus and Muslims have been invited to participate in the agriculture project. It offers them the opportunity to pull down the longstanding barriers that divide them. In my eyes they are all equal; all of them, without distinction, are my parishioners”.

He did not hesitate to stand up personally to the arrogant and high-handed people who oppressed the poor. Injustice made him indignant and he was more than prepared to use his hands to defend his poor. He made enemies and once confided to a friend that some wanted him dead.

He pressed on with his work. He did not neglect his priestly ministry: Mass, catechism, sacraments, the pastoral council. A Xaverian said of him: “I think that two things consumed him most, especially in the last period of his life: attention to the spirit and the struggle for a greater democracy. Unfortunately, the economic situation of the area was so disastrous that he always had to dedicate most of his time to practical activity. I am certain that he was anxiously awaiting a time when hunger would be less of a problem so that he could follow a different course of action”. 

Local people stop and pray at the tomb of Fr. Valerian Cobbe and Fr. Mario Veronesi

Love and Charity

Sister Rosaria, who worked with him, thus sums up his philosophy: “I always heard him preach charity and love of neighbor. Towards the end of his life, he would say that actions speak louder than words. We must not calculate what we give to the hungry. We must not oppress people further by creating different classes of person.  Whoever steals should not think that by doing so he will become rich.  No.  By stealing other people’s belongings we impoverish ourselves even more.”

Father Valerian Cobbe was killed on October 14, 1974. He was 42 years old, 12 of which he had spent in the mission. That evening he went to greet the nuns, and he said to sister Rosaria: “If they kill me, please bury me next to Father Mario Veronesi”.

He left to go home and was ambushed by thieves along the way. They had been waiting for him. They shot him once, just like Father Veronesi. They robbed him and ransacked his house and disappeared. In accordance with his wishes he was buried next to Father Mario. The two parish priests of Shimulia lie buried next to each other while awaiting the resurrection. Father Cobbe fought the good fight and conserved the faith. Who knows how much good he could have done if he had not been killed. Perhaps his death was inevitable: after giving his people water, he shed his blood for them too, just like the crucified Christ.

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