A month-long Rosary prayer program that brought Catholics together across villages concluded on May 31 at Our Lady of Protection Parish in Nobai Bottola, a Marian pilgrimage center in the Diocese of Rajshahi, northwestern Bangladesh.
Held throughout May, traditionally observed by Catholics worldwide as the Month of Mary, the program centered on the theme: “Come, let us follow in Mother Mary’s footsteps and journey toward Heaven.” About 370 faithful from different villages of the parish participated in the concluding celebration.
Nobai Bottola is known for its vibrant Catholic communities, many of whom belong to Indigenous ethnic groups. The parish is widely recognized as a Marian pilgrimage shrine that attracts thousands of devotees from across the country each year.
Throughout the month, parishioners gathered daily to pray the Rosary in homes and village communities. The prayer initiative moved from house to house, block to block, and village to village, continuing a long-standing tradition that encourages families to deepen their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and strengthen their faith through communal prayer.
Parish Priest Fr. Swapan Martin Purification said the closing celebration coincided with the Church’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.
“Although today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we gave due importance to that feast while also marking the conclusion of the Month of Mary through a Marian procession,” he said.
The concluding program featured the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, a Marian procession, communal recitation of the Rosary, and five Scripture readings from the Bible corresponding to the Rosary’s mysteries. Members of the Mother Mary Association also presented devotional offerings at the feet of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Faithful gathered in prayer seeking God’s blessings through the intercession of Mary, whom Catholics honor as the Mother of Jesus. The celebration ended with a vote of thanks delivered by Father Purification.
Our Lady of Protection Parish holds a special place in the Catholic Church in Bangladesh. As one of the country’s important Marian pilgrimage sites, it welcomes thousands of pilgrims annually who come to offer thanksgiving, fulfill vows, and present their prayers and petitions to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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