By Irudhaya Jothi
BANDEL, October 3, 2026: Around 200 Jesuits and collaborators from the Calcutta Province of the Society of Jesus gathered at the Basilica of the Holy Rosary in Bandel on Oct. 2 for a pilgrimage of thanksgiving and renewal as part of the province’s Golden Jubilee observance.
The pilgrimage recalled the long Jesuit presence and Christian mission in Bengal and commemorated several milestones: 450 years since the arrival of the first Jesuits in the region in 1576, 70 years of the Jesuit Vice-Province, 167 years of the New Bengal Mission and 50 years of the Calcutta Province of the Society of Jesus.
The Basilica of the Holy Rosary, popularly known as Bandel Church, is one of the oldest Christian churches in West Bengal. The shrine was founded in 1599 and was declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1988.
Organisers described the gathering as an opportunity to thank God for blessings received over the years, remember the dedication of the pioneers of the Bengal mission and renew a commitment to authentic Christian witness.
Today, Jesuits of the province serve in educational institutions, cities, villages, slums, tribal and Adivasi communities, and among marginalized groups. Their ministries include education, social action, interreligious dialogue, pastoral work and spiritual accompaniment.
The day’s Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Father James Arjen Tete, provincial of the Calcutta Province. Approximately 110 Jesuits and nearly 90 collaborators participated in the liturgy and other activities.
In remarks introducing the Eucharist, Xavier Jayaraj, registrar of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata, called on participants to give thanks for 50 years of God’s faithfulness.
He also recalled the courage of the first missionaries in Bengal and encouraged the assembly to seek forgiveness for moments when the Church had failed to listen, respond or remain faithful to its mission.
He urged pilgrims to pray for the grace to move forward in a renewed direction and to seek the transformation of the world for God and his people.
The programme opened with a presentation by Father Jayaraj Veluswami, former provincial of the Calcutta Province, who reviewed the history of the Society of Jesus in Bengal and the development of the province over the past five decades.
His presentation highlighted stages of Jesuit service in Bengal during the past 450 years. Jesuit priests returned to the region in 1598-1599 and began educational and medical initiatives in Hooghly, while the first Jesuit church in Bengal was opened at Chandecan, present-day Jessore, in 1600.
Pilgrims later gathered before Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and prayed the Rosary in English, Bengali, Santali and Hindi, reflecting the province’s multilingual and multicultural character.
Following the Eucharist, participants shared a fellowship meal in the parish hall and expressed gratitude to the rector and parish priest of the Bandel shrine, as well as to those who helped organise the event.
Jesuit Father Masillamani Thiraviam, novice master and coordinator of the pilgrimage, welcomed the strong participation but said more people could have joined the event.
He expressed hope that future gatherings would draw wider participation from Jesuits, collaborators, parishioners and friends of the province.
Organisers said the pilgrimage was not only a celebration of the past but also a moment of recommitment to the future mission of the Calcutta Province.
The event concluded with prayers for God’s continued blessing on the Jesuits of the province and for the grace to remain faithful witnesses of Christ in Bengal and beyond.