ASIA/INDIA - Missionary Congress in Lucknow: “The youth, protagonists of the mission.”

Tuesday, 7 October 2008

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Lucknow (Agenzia Fides) – Form a missionary community, bringing the love of Christ to our neighbor: with this spirit the Diocese of Lucknow, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, celebrated its first Diocesan Missionary Congress in early October. The Congress took place after several months of preparatory encounters in the parishes and smaller ecclesial communities: the representatives met in Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Lucknow where they prayed and listened to the Word of God and the talks of the Congress, giving their testimonies with their eyes fixed on the Church’s future in their Diocese.
Bishop Gerald John Mathias spoke on the need to “rekindle the missionary flame” in the Church, bringing Christ’s message to all people.
A special presence was felt by the participation of the youth, who showed themselves to be prepared to become “protagonists of the mission”; telling their experiences with enthusiasm.
The celebration of the final Mass featured various symbolic gestures, such as a representative of each parish lighting a candle from the Paschal Candle, symbolizing the need to bring Christ’s light and the fire of the mission to all local communities in the diocesan territory.
The final gesture was the presentation of the Missionary Cross to each parish, as a sign of their new missionary commitment in the evangelization effort.
Many groups in the Church in India prepared or are preparing missionary Congresses, following in the footsteps of the Asian Missionary Congress of 2006. Thus, the Missionary Congress if Gujarat is being organized, with the theme: “Walking on the Path of Jesus,” scheduled to take place in early November (see Fides 10/9/2008); with the Year of Saint Paul being celebrated, there has been a Missionary Congress held in Bangalore for reawakening the missionary spirit in each parish (see Fides 16/7/2008). Last year, the entire Catholic community of the Indian state of Karnataka found new strategies for evangelization during their Missionary Congress (17/4/2007). (PA) (Agenzia Fides 7/10/2008)