Italian missionary priest to Bangladesh dies at 76

An Italian priest who was a missionary for over four decades in Bangladesh died in Italy on August 12. He was 76.

For almost 45 years, Father Emilio Spinelli, a member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, spent most of his life in Bangladesh, especially in the Rajshahi and Dinajpur dioceses.

Having served in Bangladesh for over four decades, he left for Italy in 2020.

The missionary promoted education by funding various schools in Bangladesh.

He showed an exemplary spirit of service by accepting hundreds of poor-orphan tribal children into the hostel at the parish.

He was well known as the "Father of Orphans" for his fatherly love and care, with responsibility towards orphan children.

The priest made a unique contribution to the Bangladesh Church through medical service and socio-economic and infrastructural fields for all the tribal people of Bangladesh.

He used to send the sick and afflicted to various hospitals in the country and outside the country for better treatment regardless of caste, religion, and other faithful people.

Catholics and other faiths have paid tribute to an Italian missionary for his dedicated pastoral service to the poor in Muslim-based northern Bangladesh for more than four decades.

Catechist Master of Chandpukur Mission, Gupen Augustine Hasdak said, "As a missionary, Spinelli was an exemplary and dedicated priest. People call him the ‘Father of Orphans’ because he loved orphan children. That is why he built orphan houses in the parish.

"He always helped with socio-economic development for the people and always built a good rapport in society," said Hasdak.

School teacher Teresa Murmu said, "Father Spinelli was a man of education for many of us, from primary school to university. He taught us to become good teachers."

"He supported the poor students and also needy families, especially Muslims, Hindus, and Christians. He took care of the sick people and sent them to the hospital for better treatment," said Murmu.

Through education, catechism, and technical training, Father Spinelli dedicated his life to the social development of poor indigenous people, including Christians.

He was born in Milan, Italy in 1946 and was ordained a priest in 1974.

The missionary arrived in Bangladesh in 1975, four years after Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan.

He studied Bengali, the national language, and became the parish priest of St. Joseph’s Church in Chapai Nawabganj district in Rajshahi, a northern parish inhabited by largely poor indigenous Christians.

In 1983, he became the priest of Christ the King of Peace Church in the Rajshahi diocese, where he served for the next 25 years.

He will remain in the hearts of every human being with the same love and respect with which he left his motherland and loved Bangladesh. - Nikhil Gomes