The Legacy: History of the Bangladesh Jesuit Mission
1574 Frs. Antonio Vaz, S.J and Pedro Dias, S.J came to Bengal along with the traders as soul-saviors.
1575 Frs. Francisco Fernandez SJ and Domingo de Souza SJ were entrusted with the Bengal Mission.
1578 Frs. Andre Boves SJ and Melchior Fonseka SJ joined them.
1598 King Pratapaditya of Jessore invited the Jesuits to his kingdom with a gift of land.
1599 Fr. Francisco Fernandez SJ, the Superior of the Bengal Mission started the first school and compiled the first Bengali Catechism booklet in Sripur, Dhaka.
1600 In Iswaripur, Khulna the first church of the Holy Name of Jesus, blessed on 1st January.In Diang, the church of St. John the Baptist, blessed on 24th June, and church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, on 8th December at Chittagong.
1602 Martyrdom of Fr. Francisco Fernandez SJ the first Martyr of Bengal on the 14th November.
1611 Fr. BlacioNunes SJ and Fr. Saleme SJ leaves the Mission in Sandwip
1617 Jesuits returned to Hugli.King of Arakan invited the Jesuits to his kingdom
1632 Siege of Hugli. Eight Jesuits died. Four escaped to Sagar Island.
1712 Mgr.LaynesPimenta, SJ made his first pastoral visit to Chittagong and Dacca
1764 Padrishibpur Mission in Barisal was built by Fr. Pedro Gonsalves, SJ.
1834 Bengal Mission under the British Jesuits for 15 years.
1836 FrHippolyte More SJ built a church Tumilia, Dhaka and blessed it on 24th December.
1859 Arrival of Belgian Jesuits.
1900 Belgian Jesuits to Satkhira and Borodol in Khulna diocese and worked there till 1952.
1994 Jesuits returned to Bangladesh with Frs. Joseph Cukale SJ and Chanan Gupta SJ.
1997 Bp. Linus N Gomes SJ and Fr. Joseph D’Souza came to Dhaka and settled in Monipuripara.
2009 NavjyotiNiketan, Pre-novitiate and Retreat House started in Kuchilabari.
2011 St. Francis Xavier’s Parish in Bhobanipur erected and entrusted to the Jesuit Mission.
2018 Jesuit Refugee Service starts working with the Rohingya refugees
2022 First Novitiate and English Medium School are begun at Mothbari.