Archbishop of Chattogram
Archbishop Lawrence Subrata Howlader, Archbishop of Chattogram, was born on September 11, 1965, at Noborgram, in the district of Barishal. He took his secondary school certificate at Palordi Secondary School in Gournadi in 1982, his higher secondary certificate at the government Hatem Ali College in Barishal in 1984, and his degree at B. M. College in Barishal in 1986. After studying at the minor seminary of Barishal he entered the novitiate of the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1987 and made his first profession on August 2, 1988, and he studied philosophy and theology at the Holy Spirit major seminary at Banani, Dhaka, from 1988 to 1993. He made his perpetual profession on August 6, 1993, was ordained a deacon in February 1994 at Ramna, Dhaka, and was ordained a priest on December 31, 1994, in St. Peter's Church at Barishal, now the cathedral, by Joachim Rozario. He served as assistant pastor of Mariamnagar Parish in the Diocese of Mymensingh from 1994 to 1995 and again in 2000, as rector of St. Paul's minor seminary at Jalchatra in the same diocese from 1996 to 1998, and as assistant pastor at Peergacha from 1998 to 1999. From 2000 to 2004 he studied in Rome for the licentiate in psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. From 2005 he was master of novices of the Congregation of Holy Cross at Barisal, and from 2008 chaplain of the regional Caritas of Barisal; in 2006 he was elected a member of the provincial council of his institute. On May 7, 2009, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Chittagong and Titular Bishop of Afufenia. He received episcopal ordination on July 3, 2009, at Barisal, with Patrick D'Rozario as principal consecrator and Paulinus Costa and Joseph Salvador Marino as co-consecrators. On December 29, 2015, he was appointed Bishop of Barisal, and he was installed on January 29, 2016. On February 19, 2021, he was appointed Archbishop of Chattogram, and he was installed on May 22, 2021, being invested with the pallium on November 26, 2021. He also served as Apostolic Administrator of Barishal from May 22, 2021, until August 19, 2022.