RANCHI, July 22 — In a significant step toward strengthening faith formation in the JHAAN (Jharkhand-Andaman) Region, a specialized seminar on the Catechetical Ministry and the updated National Catechetical Directory was held in Ranchi today.
The gathering brought together 23 key pastoral leaders, comprising 10 bishops and 13 regional secretaries from various commissions. The event was organized under the pastoral guidance of Most Rev. Vincent Aind, Archbishop of Ranchi and President of the JHAAN Region Bishops' Council, alongside Regional Deputy Secretary Fr. Valerian Lobo.
Exploring the Updated Directory and Synodality
The core topic of the day was a focused study on the updated National Catechetical Directory 2026—recently released by the CCBI under the title "Fostering the Faith of a Pilgrim People"—and the implementation of synodal approaches in catechesis. Fr. Vijay Machado, Executive Secretary of the CCBI Commission for Faith Formation, served as the resource person for the event, walking the leaders through the directory's renewed pastoral paradigms.
A Collaborative Approach to Ministry
The sessions were highly interactive, marked by open sharing and profound discussions among the attendees. A major focus of the deliberations was the necessity of collaborative ministry—encouraging different regional and diocesan commissions to work hand-in-hand rather than in silos.
The participating bishops and commission secretaries expressed deep appreciation for the session, noting that the directory's synodal perspective offers a unified, deeply relational roadmap for the region's future catechetical mission.
Report by Fr. Vijay Machado
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