A senior official of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has called on Church leaders to move “from maintenance mode to missionary mode.”
Fr. Stephen Alathara, deputy secretary general of the CCBI, said that the Church must rekindle its missionary identity to meet contemporary pastoral challenges.
The priest made the statement during the inauguration of the Regional Deputy Secretaries Capacity Building Programme in Goa.
He urged participants to look to the witness of early Christian communities and renew their commitment to evangelization.
“We are not called to preserve structures, but to proclaim the Good News with courage and compassion. The time has come to move from maintenance to mission, from comfort to commitment,” he said.
He noted that the CCBI’s Pastoral Plan, launched in 2024, was designed to guide dioceses toward this missionary direction.
Training for pastoral leadership
The three-day program seeks to strengthen pastoral leadership among Regional Deputy Secretaries by equipping them with skills for community engagement.
Resource persons include Jesuit priest Fr. Joe Xavier, S.J., Fr. Christopher Vimalraj, Fr. Duming Gonsalves, and lay pastoral trainer Vincent D’Silva, who are leading reflections, group sessions, and workshops.
Participants said the opening day was both inspiring and challenging. “This programme is helping us rediscover our missionary identity,” said Fr. Peter Charles, Regional Deputy Secretary of Bihar.
“It challenges us to move beyond routine and serve with renewed faith and purpose,” added Fr. Francis, Regional Deputy Secretary of Tamil Nadu.
