Francis Anthony Gomes

Francis Anthony Gomes, also Francis A. Gomes, ( born April 10, 1931 in Rangamatia, † February 17, 2011 in Bangkok ) was a Bangladeshi minister and Roman Catholic Bishop of Mymensingh.

Life

Francis Anthony Gomes was the son of Simon Haccha, Garo priest born in Ranikhong. He received on 28 May 1964, the priesthood and studied in Rome. He was one of the first Catholic priests from Bengal. He was the pastor of Bhoborpara in the former district Kushtia. Gomes was born on April 17, 1971 witnessed the founding and swearing-in ceremony of the exile government of Bangladesh in Baiddyanathtola, an enclave in East Pakistan (now Mujibnagar ), in the presence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Syed Nazrul Islam and Tajuddin Ahmad, the first Prime Minister. Baiddyanathtola was only five minutes' walk from his parish church.

Gomes had to flee under the military pressure in Pakistan together with the Bishop of Krishnagar, Matthew Baroi SDB, according to Nadia, West Bengal. There he worked in refugee camps in Anatolia, Bahadurpur, Bhaluka, Dhuplia and Haringhata and the smaller camps Maliapota, Domepukur, Begunpara, Betbari, Poragaccha, Ranaghat, Bongaon, Barashat, Begopara, Debgram, Madanpur and Panchpota. Together with the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, the Congregation of Mother Teresa, he helped in the procurement of food and medicine and the care of children who had lost their parents due to Pakistani raids.

Pope John Paul II appointed him on 15 May 1987 Bishop of Mymensingh. The Archbishop of Dhaka Michael Rozario consecrated him on 8 September of the same year to the bishop; Co-consecrators were Theotonius Gomes CSC, Bishop of Dinajpur, and Linus Nirmal Gomes SJ, Bishop of Baruipur.

On July 15, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI. its age-related resignation. After his resignation, Gomes became seriously ill: since suffering a stroke in 2008, he was paralyzed and suffered from the consequences of intracerebral hemorrhage. He died on 17 February 2011, when he was in Bangkok for treatment.