Martyr in Bangladesh

Chapter 6. Baniarchok

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Fr. Mario Veronesi, sign of hope of the Church in Bangladesh

Upon his return he was appointed parish priest in Baniarchok, one of the two communities that resulted from the division of the large parish of Khulna. On January 9,1964, he wrote to his brother Tullio: “I arrived in my new residence on December 22. I was already familiar with the place thanks to the previous years I spent in Khulna: I would often come and attend to this area because it had no priest on a fixed basis. There are 857 Christians and over 1,500,000 Hindus and Muslims. Who knows how many years (perhaps centuries) will pass before they all become Christians. It is a mystery, but our job is to preach the Gospel. The Lord depends on our work, zeal and cooperation to make his grace effective in the hearts of people. May the Lord make us worthy ministers of His Word!”

Once again, he put his hand to the plow without looking back. More prayers, sacraments, visits to the villages, hard work and difficulties. Every so often, he was helped by Father Valerian Cobbe who also founded a cooperative of Catholic, Protestant and Hindu fishermen.

In March 1964, bishop Battaglierin visited the mission. Many activities were inaugurated: two groups of sisters ran a sewing school and a preparatory course for girls wishing to marry, and Father Mario organized a crib competition for Christmas.

In May 1965, a powerful cyclone hit East Pakistan, leaving even more death, destruction and hunger behind it. Father Mario was once again among the poor, inventing so many ways of helping them in their plight, asking his friends in Italy to help, sharing his own food with those in need.

In September a new emergency arose: war broke out between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. The front was far away, but some missionaries were expelled from East Pakistan, and others were forced to leave the parishes on the border with India. Father Mario continued his work. Meanwhile, in Rome, the Second Vatican Council had ended and the real work of renewal began in local communities throughout the Catholic world. 

Fr. Mario blesses a well with drinking water

Among the untouchables

On the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Rosmini oratory in Rovereto, his friends sent financial help to the mission of Father Mario, who thanked them in a letter: “We used the money to repair the school that was damaged by the cyclone, pay the teachers, and attend to many other little necessities. I don’t know how long we’ll be able to continue at this rate, but I trust in Divine Providence and in you, my good friends. I know you will help me as much as your resources allow you. When I look at the school and its children, my thoughts turn to Rovereto, to you and the Rosmini oratory, and it is almost as if you were here with us”.

When the bishop appointed him parish priest of Shimulia, a Xaverian asked him if he was sorry to leave. He replied that he was willing to go wherever there were poor people who needed him. Father Mario was always ready to obey, to change place of work and respond to new necessities. He never made any fuss, he loved everyone without tying himself exclusively to anything or anyone. He arrived in Shimulia on 6 July 1966. He was now among the lowest people of the Hindu untouchables, the outcasts known as the Muchi. He was on his own. He was now 53 years old and, in a letter, he remarked: “As long as I can work I still consider myself a young man; with the grace of God, I hope to be able to do at least some good work among these people”. Hunger was the main problem of the people. In another letter he explained his new situation: “I am still on my own and completely taken up by the work. This suits me perfectly. I enjoy the work and the Lord has blessed me with good health. What makes me suffer most is the misery in which many people are living: when there is no bread even the spirit begins to flag”. Once again he was involved in human promotion, in line with the spirit of the Vatican Council. He started various concrete initiatives to help the poor: cooperatives, small industries, craftwork. He was convinced that his people needed to eat before he could speak to them about God.

He was so absorbed by his work that he could not even return to Italy for the ordination to the priesthood of his nephew Flavio, who was also a Xaverian, in Rovereto on October 8, 1967. He apologized for his absence, pointing out that it would almost be a betrayal if he left his people at that particular time, since there were so few fathers in the mission and there was no sign of any new arrivals. He also felt that he could not leave when so many other fathers hadn’t had a holiday in ten years. Speaking of his involvement with the poor, he wrote: “My heart is moved too easily; I get involved personally in my people’s suffering and my inability to help them is a heavy cross for me to bear. The Lord has given me this cross and I must bear it for Him”.

A Renewed Spirit

He returned to Italy in 1970. He was tired and perhaps the superiors wanted him to remain. He insisted, however, that his health was good and that he wished to return to the missions.  Before he left Italy for the last time, he wrote to his family: “I am leaving once again, my strength and spirit renewed, to give my life until the end; my life is not my own, it belongs to the Lord and to the love God has sown in my heart”.

I would often come and attend to this area because it had no priest on a fixed basis. Who knows how many years (perhaps centuries) will pass before they all become Christians. It is a mystery, but our job is to preach the Gospel. The Lord depends on our work, zeal and cooperation to make his grace effective in the hearts of people. May the Lord make us worthy ministers of His Word!
Fr. Mario Veronesi

Back in Shimulia, Father Mario found that the bishop had sent him a young Xaverian, the 35 year old Father Valerian Cobbe, to help him. He worked with Father Mario to make of Shimulia a village of hope. He too would pay with his life for the love he felt for the poor and downtrodden. Father Valerian was another missionary who believed in human promotion: he built wells for irrigation, got involved in the education of the small children and projects on behalf of women. The two men became friends, they shared the same philosophy and they spoke the same language.

Father Cobbe had a great admiration for Father Mario. He confided, “Compared to him, I am a spiritual dwarf”. When Father Veronesi returned to Italy in 1970, Father Valerian wrote to his father: “I hope Father Veronesi comes to visit you: he is a great and holy missionary. He is older than I am, and yet he beats me in everything related to sacrifice and apostolate. He is capable of walking 15/20 miles a day during the rainy season and he never seems to tire. Without his help I would not have been able to resist the pressure of work and the difficult circumstances in which we are living”.

A benefactor said about Father Mario, “He is held in high regard also by the Muslims who consider him to be the holy man of the area. They say he works miracles and I have no difficulty in believing this because he has a great spirit of sacrifice and spiritual perception of life”.

Father Garello wrote of Father Mario, “If a Bengali painter in Shimulia were asked to paint the face of Christ, he would surely be inspired by the face of Father Mario Veronesi”.

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