Fr. Emmanuel Profullo Gomes TOR, 81 of the Third Order Regular Franciscans of the Commissary of St. Bonaventure, Bangladesh died on Monday, January 29, 2024 at Green Life Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Fr. Emmanuel resided at Assisi Bhavan, Dinajpur since September 2023.He served the Commissary of St. Bonaventure as Delegation Superior, Aspirant Director, Novice Master, Parish priest and many other ministries. He was the first TOR from Bangladesh. He was born on June 23, 1942 at the village Borni, in Nator District under Rajshahi Diocese. He was the son of late Edwin Gomes and late Catharina Rozario and the first of six children. His younger brother Fr. Patrick Gomes is a Diocesian Priest of the Diocese of Rajshahi and younger sister Sr. Margret Gomes is a Nun of Sister of Charity Congregation.
Fr. Emmanuel Gomes attended Roman Catholic school in his native place (Borni) for his elementary education. After completion of primary education, he came to Dinajpur St. Philip’s High school and passed School Secondary Certificate examination. Due to his physical weakness, he was not accepted at the Diocesan Seminary however he was eager to become a priest. Therefore, his parish priest Fr. Anthony Kento PIME sent him to India Bhagalpur to become a TOR Franciscan in 1964. He went to Babumahal for Canonical year of Novitiate after one year of formation under Rev. Father Theodore Baa TOR. He received first profession in 1966 and sent to Ranchi, Jharkhand FTI and there he started his philosophical and theological study at St. Albert College.
On November 24, 1972, he was ordained a Priest by the first Bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Bhagalpur, Most. Rev. Urban Eugene McGarry TOR. After ordination, he was appointed at the FTI as rector. Later, he was appointed in Dhorma Parish, under Khunti Diocese which was previously under Ranchi Archdiocese. There he was assistant parish priest with Fr. Theodor Baa, TOR. Due to the unstable political situation in 1975, he was sent back to Bangladesh after ten years. He came to Dinajpur and was appointed rector of the Seminary by Most Rev. Bishop Michel Rozario. He taught at the St. Philips High School as a provisional teacher. As he was the only TOR Franciscan in Bangladesh, the Minister General called him to Rome and, after completion of his Italian language studies, appointed him to Prima Valle Parish in Rome (1977-1981). In 1981, he was appointed to Vienna (1981-1983). He was sent back to Bangladesh in 1984 to start new mission of TOR Franciscan Community in Bangladesh with another Bangladeshi TOR Brother, Brother Kevin Anthony Tudu TOR. At the beginning, he was appointed in different parishes by Bishop of Dinajpure. Fr. Emmanuel was sent to Sri Lank with three candidates for the Canonical Year of Novitiate and he was there as assistant Novice Master (1985-1986).
After coming back from Sri Lanka, he was appointed Parish Priest of Nijpara Parish (1986-1995). In 1995, Fr. Emmanuel Gomes started new mission in Dinajpur of TOR Friary and formation house of Assisi Bhavan. He did his ministry in St. Antony Ashram, Dostompur as Priest In-charge and local minister, in Assisi Bhavan as Formator Novice Master, Local Minister, and Delegation Superior and in Dhaka Santi Nivas as Director and local minister.
He celebrated his silver Jubilee of Priestly Ordination in 1997 and Golden Jubilee in 2023 in Assisi Bhavan, Dinajpure. On January 29, 2024, he died at Green Life Hospital, Dhaka at 8:30 PM.
The body was brought to Dinajpur on 30 Tuesday in the morning and Most Rev. Bishop Sebastian Tudu offered funeral mass at 8:30am in the Dinajpur Cathdral. After the Mass, the body was taken to Assisi Bhavan where Poor Clare Sisters and friends and faithful present to bid their farewell. At 11.00 am, the body of Fr. Emmanuel was taken to Rajshahi at his home Parish Borni. During this time many friars, relatives, priests and nuns from the parishes of the Dioceses of Dinajpur and Rajshahi and many observant faithful from the rural areas of the country were present to bid their farewell.
Mass of Christian Burial was concelebrated on Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 5:15 p.m. at Virgo Potens Church in Borni with Most Rev. Gervas Rozario Bishop of Rajshahi, as principal celebrant. Following the Mass, burial took place in the Parish Cemetery, Borni.