At 74, Joseph Das spends much of his time traveling from village to village, visiting Catholic families, leading prayers, teaching the faith and sharing the Gospel. For the past 12 years, he has served as a catechist in Jessore Parish of Bangladesh’s Khulna Diocese, a ministry he describes as a blessing in the later years of his life.
A father of two, Das previously worked for more than three decades as a paramedic in hospitals and nongovernmental organizations. After retiring, he embraced a new vocation, dedicating himself to supporting the Church at the grassroots level.
“My main responsibility is to assist the parish priest and help continue his pastoral work,” Das told RVA News. “I provide catechism classes for children and adults, lead prayer services and share the message of Jesus.”
He is one of 47 catechists serving across Khulna Diocese, where they play a vital role in strengthening parish life, particularly in remote communities. By maintaining close contact with families and accompanying people in their daily struggles, catechists often become the Church’s most visible presence in local villages.
Das said family visits are a central part of his ministry. He listens to personal concerns, offers guidance and encourages people to remain active in their faith.
“It is not always possible for a bishop or a priest to reach every community and personally share the latest message of the Church,” he explained. “Catechists can do that. We go to villages, meet people, and communicate the teachings and messages of the Pope and our bishops through discussion and personal contact.”
His ministry has also contributed to evangelization. Das recalled several people who received catechesis through parish programs and later chose to enter the Catholic Church through baptism.
“We taught them about the faith, and they were baptized,” he said. “Today they are good Catholics who are trying to live according to Christian values. That gives me great joy.”
While catechists receive only a modest honorarium, Das said financial reward was never his motivation.
“The life of a catechist is a life of sacrifice,” he said. “Just as Jesus sacrificed, we also try to serve others. I did not come to this ministry for money. In my later years, I wanted to walk with Jesus and serve Him. The financial benefit is small, but the respect and love I receive from people are much greater.”
For Das, being a catechist is also about witnessing to the Gospel through daily life.
“I cannot be Jesus Christ,” he said, “but I can follow His teachings and share them with others. I try to encourage honesty, truthfulness and justice. People learn not only from our words but also from our actions.”
At the same time, he has observed social and spiritual changes affecting Catholic families.
“In the past, many families prayed the Rosary together in the evening,” he noted. “Now some families no longer have that tradition, and some Catholics do not attend Sunday Mass regularly.”
Despite these challenges, Das remains hopeful about the future of the Church in the region. Jessore Parish, home to around 1,500 Catholics, continues to see interest in Christianity among people from other faith traditions.
Looking back on his years of service, Das believes the ministry has enriched his own faith as much as it has helped others.
“I feel that God has blessed me through this work,” he said. “Whenever I face difficulties, I often find solutions quickly. That is God’s grace. People respect catechists as bearers of Christ, and that is the great beauty of this vocation.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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