Syncretism and False Miracles at Bangladesh “Marian” Shrine
The Catholic News Agency reports on an annual pilgrimage to Nabai Battala village in Bangladesh, where thousands commemorate a 1971 incident during the Bangladesh Liberation War. According to the account, Pakistani soldiers surrounded villagers taking refuge in a church—both Christians and Hindus—but departed without harming them after prayers to Mary. The site was declared a diocesan shrine in 2004 by then-“bishop” Paulinus Costa and formally designated as such in 2023 by “bishop” Gervas Rozario. The article describes Hindu conversions to Christianity, testimonies of answered prayers, and interfaith gatherings at the shrine.