CONSECRATED LIFE – More than 600 are expected to take part in the Triennial Assembly of Major Superiors of Religious of India , to be held at Dharmaram College, Bangalore from May 1st to fourth.
The Assembly will have sessions organized around the theme of the Year of Consecrated Life, namely ‘Remembering the Past with Gratitude, Looking Forward to the Future with Trust and Living the Present with Passion’.
The Assembly is being held not only as a great learning experience but also as a joyful celebration of the common commitment to Christ and a renewed decision to “wake up the world” through joyful and prophetic witness.
Distinguished speakers at the Assembly include Cardinal Oswal Gracias of Mumbai, a member of the Pope’s core team of cardinals and president of the Asian Bishops and of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India.
The assembly will open with the welcome address of CRI National President Fr. V. M. Thomas. It will be followed by Holy Mass led by Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore.
Cardinal Gracias will speak on Pope Francis’ Inspiring Leadership, Vision of the Church and of Religious Life on the inaugural day.
Jesuit Fr. Joe Mathias, Rector, St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary Bangalore, will speak on A New Pedagogy for an International Formation of Religious in India Today.
Fr. Dominic Veliath SDB, Professor, KristuJyothi will deliberate upon Consecrated Life in and after Vatican II.
Mr Isaac Mohalal, Advocate, Chennai High Court, will speak on Legal and Constitutional issues while Chartered Accountant Simon Rodrigues will brush up skills on financial management.
Experts will deliberate upon current challenges and opportunities in the ministries of medicine, social action, education, new ministries, pastoral etc.
The topic of Charism: Fidelity& Adaptation will be dealt by Sr. Licia SMI, President, CRI, Mumbai.
‘The digital media –its use, abuse and potential ‘will be dealt with Fr. Cleophas Braganza.
There would be a session on Listening to Our Prophets : video chat with Sr. Saroj SCB, Sr Inigo SSA, Fr Fabio Attard SDB, Fr George Pattery SJ, Bro Varghese Thekkanath SG, Sr Pratibha Pinto RSCJ, Bro Jerome FSP, Fr Michael Peedikayail SDB.
Fr Joe Mannath, National Secretary CRI, will deliberate upon the main theme of the conference “A Special Year: Remembering the past, looking forward to the future, living the present”.Fr. Jose Thachil ,CRI National programme director will take the session on Pope Francis’ message to the Major Superiors.
In another session the conference will listen to a pastor in Fr. Andrean Mascarenhas and later some lay leaders of the Catholic Church in India
Apostolic Nuncio Salvatore Pennacchio will lead the concelebrated Mass on May 4, the final day
In this digital age, the Assembly will go hi-tech with a tablet computer that will be provided to the participants ( who have ordered it) at a nominal cost. Some 90 books (like the Bible, Missal, Constitution of India, Vatican documents on religious life, books on Christian spirituality), is loaded on to it beside papers on the Assembly.
Source: Conference of Religious India Bulletin, April 25, 2015
