Allahabad Diocese Clergy Renewed with “The Mind of Christ”

Allahabad, September 19, 2026 — A call to renewed priestly witness, deeper prayer and commitment to the salvation of souls marked a recollection held for the clergy of the Allahabad diocese at the Bishop’s House on September 17.

Led by Mr. Ajin Joseph, Associate Secretary to the CCBI Family Commission, the recollection focused on the theme “Mind of Christ for a Priest.”

Reflecting on Christ’s threefold mandate in John 21:15–19 — “Feed my Lambs,” “Tend my Sheep,” and “Feed my Sheep” — Mr. Joseph called priests to nurture the faithful, gather straying Catholics and proclaim the Gospel to all.

He urged priests to cultivate a life of deep prayer, including the Liturgy of the Hours and daily Eucharistic Adoration. He also stressed the need for homilies to be grounded in apologetics and the Catechism.

The second talk focused on the call to gather the lost and evangelise all, with reference to Canon 528 §1 and Unitatis Redintegratio. Mr. Joseph highlighted the importance of priestly witness, quoting Cardinal Robert Sarah: “Priest must wear cassock to be recognised as a priest.”

Modern threats to faith and family were also addressed, including declining morality, contraception, abortion, IVF, divorce and gender ideology. Mr. Joseph noted India’s high porn viewership and described abortion as a “culture of death.”

He reaffirmed the Church’s teaching on marriage as both unitive and procreative and called for a “Purity & Chastity Revolution,” while highlighting the growth of the March for Life in India.

Practical suggestions were offered to help clergy respond to the “culture of death” and strengthen their witness in the face of contemporary challenges.

The recollection called the clergy to renew their commitment to living as witnesses of Christ’s love, with a focus on the salvation of souls.

By Fr. Joel Roshan Fernandes, Allahabad Diocese