News Archive Bangladesh In Northern Bangladesh Christmas Starts in September Dhaka (Fides Service) - In Sursunipara parish in the diocese of Rajshahi, in northern Bangladesh, Christmas begins at the end of Summer. In fact Father Paul Peter Costa, aged 40, has a vast area to cover to visit all his 6,700 parishioners who live 100 different villages. To make sure his people, mostly of Santal origin but also Mahali and Uraon, have a Christmas Mass, Fr Costa begins in mid September to visit the villages one by one and hold a special Liturgy. With the help of another priest, Fr Costa makes his rounds across an area of 30 sq km and by Christmas the most distant villagers have celebrated their Christmas Mass. Speaking to Eglise d'Asie news agency Fr Costa says he has come "to love these simple people who live the beatitudes". (Fides Service 3/1/2003) Bomb Kills 9 During Mass In Bangladesh DHAKA, Bangladesh, JUNE 3, 2001 (Zenit.org).- A bomb exploded inside a Catholic church this morning during a Mass, killing at least nine people and wounding 13 others, the Associated Press reported police as saying. The blast occurred at the Catholic Mission Church in Baniarchar, a village in the Gopalgani district about 96 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of the capital Dhaka. Mohammed Faruq Jan, parliamentary representative of the Awami League in the Gopalganj district, initially reported four dead in the blast. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed condemned the bombing, which occurred in her home district. The government attributed a series of recent bomb attacks to Muslim fundamentalists. This nation of 129 million is about 88% Muslim, and about 1% Christian. ZE01060303