Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Palai (India) - The Christian faithful are ready to be missionaries for the mission ad gentes and for the new evangelization: this is what emerged from the recent Missionary Conference held in the diocese of Palai (in the state of Kerala, South India) which brought together more than 6,000 priests, missionaries and men and women religious working in over 100 countries in the five continents. Top Catholic leaders of India attended: Archbishop of Mumbai and President of the Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Oswald Gracias; Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of the Syro -Malabar Church; the Apostolic Nuncio, His Exc. Mgr. Salvatore Pennacchio, and twenty other Bishops from other Indian dioceses.
The purpose of the Congress was to bring together the missionaries from around the world and give them a new impetus for proclaiming the Gospel. The diocese of Palai, reminded the participants, it has given the Church 26 Bishops, Sister Alfonsa (the first Indian saint, canonized in 2008), Blessed Kunjachan and the Servant of God Fr. Mathai Kadalikattil. Four religious congregations were born in the diocese which recall the evangelizing work of St. Thomas.
The Apostolic Nuncio in his message thanked the Diocese of Palai "for sending missionaries to different parts of the world," encouraging the missionaries, who must be prepared to face the challenges of the contemporary world and to live according to God’s expectation, "to be witnesses of God for the good of the Church." Cardinal George Alencherry remarked that "the missionaries are the wealth of all," remembering "the wonderful work they are doing in Northeast India", but also in Europe, committed to the new evangelization.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias recalled the importance of interreligious dialogue, social work, "the heart of the mission," the need to bring together the Gospel in different cultures, giving, finally, the "new frontiers" for preaching the Gospel represented by the mass media. (PA-LM) (Agenzia Fides 09/05/2012)
