History of Saint Anthony Community of Bangladesh Ontario, Canada
Background
In June 2014, Mrs. Anjoli Mendez felt the need of observing Saint Anthony Feast like she did at home country Bangladesh. So, she called for a prayer meeting to observe the feast at her residence at 10 Teesdale place, Toronto, ON, Canada. About 30 people attended the prayer meeting on Saturday, June 14, 2014. Mrs. Anjoli Mendez and Matthew Mendez conducted the prayer meeting. After the prayer meeting and dinner Mrs. Anjoli Mendez and her husband Mr. Matthew Mendez requested the attendees to come forward to host the second prayer meeting for the year 2015. Mr. Clement Shekhor Gomes and his wife Loren Deepali Gomes offered to host the prayer meeting for the feast.
Matthew & Anjoli Mendez, first conveners of SACBO
So the second St. Anthony’s Feast celebration was organized by them at their residence’s recreation hall on Saturday, June 27, 2015. Mr. Matthew Mendez and Anjoli Mendez conducted the prayer meeting. About 60 people attended the second St. Anthony’s Feast celebration. It was a very successful celebration. The prayer meeting was followed by dinner provided by the host. After the prayer service Mrs. Anjoli Mendez and Matthew Mendez requested the participants to come forward to host the third prayer meeting for the year 2016. Clarence Shankar and Loreto Gomes proposed to host it. However, Benedict Shekhor Gomes and few other attendees proposed to make the feast celebration open to all the Bangladeshi Catholics of Toronto because they informed that many other people are interested to join the feast celebrations.
As the participants for the feast were growing dramatically, Mr. and Mrs. Mendez accepted the proposal placed by the house. However, Mr. Matthew and Anjoli Mendez requested the participants to come forward to form a committee to conduct the future St. Anthony Feast celebrations. The following participants volunteered to form a committee. They are Vincent Rebeiro, Kalyani Rebeiro, Clarence Shankar Gomes, Loreto Doren Gomes, Clement Shekhar Gomes, Loren Deepali Gomes, and Benedict Shekhor Gomes.
Formation of the first Executive Committee
The first meeting with the interested volunteers took place on Monday, June 29, 2015, at Clarence Shankar and Loreto Gomes’s residence at 199, South Woodrow Blvd. Scarborough. The meeting was attended by the following members: Anjoli Mendez, Matthew Mendez, Vincent Rebeiro, Kalyani Rebeiro, Clarence Shankar Gomes, Loreto Doren Gomes, Clement Shekhar Gomes, Loren Deepali Gomes and Benedict Shekhar Gomes. A committee was formed with the above members. The committee was named as Saint Anthony Feast Organizing Committee (SAFOC). The committee was created as under:
- Matthew Mendez and Anjoli Mendez, Conveners
- Loreto Doren Gomes – Secretary
- Clement Shekhor Gomes – Member
- Loren Deepali Gomes – Member
- Clarence Shankar Gomes – Member
- Vincent Rebeiro – Member
- Kalyani Rebeiro – Member
- Benedict Shekhor Gomes – Member
In January 30, 2016, Mrs. Aroti Rego joined the committee as a new member.
Feast Celebrations
With Matthew and Anjoli Mendez as conveners, Saint Anthony Feast Organizing Committee (SAFOC) organized Saint Anthony Feast Celebrations for all the Catholic population of Toronto every year from June 2016. The feast celebrations were done with mass in Bengali by Bangladeshi bishops and or priests. Recollection of St. Anthony’s life and miracles were done before or after the feast mass. Prayer cards and gurala blessed during the mass were distributed after every feast mass. In addition, dinner or snacks were served to all the participants. Parbo kortas were contacted to financially support the feast expenses. A Bengali choir group was formed that practiced and presented devotional hymns dedicated to St. Anthony at the feast mass. Nine days long novena prayers were conducted prior to every St. Anthony Feast day in devotees’ houses or in a church.
The first open to all St. Anthony feast was held in Canadian Martyr’s parish at 522 Plains Road, East York on Sunday, June 19, 2016. It was celebrated with a feast mass by Bishop Theotenius Gomes c.s.c. and Fr. Xavier Thomas Gomes c.s.c. St. Anthony choir presented nice devotional hymns during mass. Around 300 Bangladeshi Catholics attended the feast. A reception program was organized in the church hall after the feast mass. The reception program included recollection of St. Anthony’s life and miracles, reception of the feast celebrants, souvenirs to the parba kortas , father’s day celebration, short cultural program and dinner for all participants.
The second St. Anthony feast in Toronto was celebrated with a mass on Sunday, June 18, 2017 at Canadian Martyr’s parish at 522 Plains Road, East York. The main celebrant was Fr. Xavier Thomas Gomes. He was assisted by Fr. Robert Gomes from Montreal, Quebec. About 350 participants attended. Similar reception program was organized after the feast mass.
In 2018, St. Anthony Feast was celebrated on Saturday, June 16 at Immaculate Heart of Mary at 101 Birchmount Rd, Scarborough. The mass was celebrated by Bishop Paul Ponen Kubi c.s.c., bishop of Mymensigh. He was assisted by Fr. Robert Gomes c.s.c. from Montreal. About 350 devotees attended.
In 2019, St. Anthony Feast was celebrated on Sunday, June 16 in St. Theresa’s Parish – Shrine of the Little Flower at 2559 Kingston Rd, Scarborough. It was celebrated by Bishop Theotonius Gomes c.s.c. Around 400 people from Bangladeshi Christian Community of Ontario attended.
Expansion of Executive Committee
Some new members were taken on the Executive Committee between the years 2017-2020. They are Janet Gomes (2017), Bina Shaha (2018), Andreas Gomes (2018), Joyce Gomes (2018) and Diana Nelson (2020).
Guidelines
In 2016, Mr. Matthew Mendez drafted a guideline for the Executive committee members. It was revised several times and after a series of meetings and long discussions between the period December 2018 to June 2019, the guidelines was approved by the Executive Committee on June 23, 2019. According to the approved guidelines Saint Anthony Feast Organizing Committee’s name has been changed to Saint Anthony Community of Bangladesh, Ontario (SACBO).