Diocese of Chikmagalur Holds Pastoral Commissions Review Meet 2025

Chikmagalur, April 2, 2025 – The Pastoral Commissions Review Meeting 2025 of the Diocese of Chikmagalur was held on April 2 at Spoorthi Sadana, the Pastoral Centre of the diocese in Chikmagalur. The event was attended by diocesan secretaries, joint secretaries, core committee members, and implementation committee members. The meeting aimed to review the progress of various pastoral commissions, highlight achievements, address challenges, and strategise for the future. It was coordinated by Fr. David Prakash and presided over by Most Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Swamy, Bishop of Chikmagalur.

The meeting commenced with a welcome address by Fr. Charles Pereira, the procurator and chancellor of the diocese, who acknowledged the dedication of all diocesan members in advancing the pastoral mission. This was followed by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and words of blessing from Bishop Anthony Swamy.

Fr. Anil Joel Prasad, the regional coordinator, led an insightful session on enhancing pastoral outreach. He underscored key strategies aimed at strengthening community engagement, fostering improved collaboration across commissions, and effectively addressing prevailing pastoral needs. He also emphasised the importance of passion in leadership within ministry, highlighting that passion is a deep desire to serve, evangelise, and contribute to the growth of the Church. He noted that true passion is not just enthusiasm but a deep and sustained inner drive that leads to meaningful action in service of the Church.

Drawing from biblical references, Fr. Prasad illustrated how Jesus, St. Paul, and Prophet Isaiah demonstrated passion in their missions. He also outlined the characteristics of passionate leaders, stressing the importance of having purpose, being proactive, making sacrifices, and having enthusiasm while doing pastoral work.

Following the session, commission secretaries and joint secretaries presented progress reports for the period of January to March 2025. They detailed the various measures undertaken in their respective regions to implement the pastoral plan, shared notable success stories illustrating the positive outcomes of their initiatives, and discussed the challenges encountered during the implementation of pastoral plans. Additionally, they elaborated on the solutions they explored to deal with the challenges and highlighted responses received from clergy, religious members, and the laity regarding commission activities. The meeting also provided an important forum for attendees to voice concerns and offer constructive feedback.

Key resolutions taken during the meeting included strengthening collaboration among commissions to enhance overall effectiveness, encouraging greater involvement of the laity in pastoral activities, addressing logistical and financial constraints to ensure the smooth implementation of initiatives, conducting capacity-building workshops to equip members with the necessary skills for pastoral work, and establishing regular follow-up mechanisms to monitor progress and address emerging challenges.

The meeting concluded with a prayer and blessing by Bishop Anthony Swamy. Fr. David Prakash delivered the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude for the commitment and contributions of all attendees.

The meeting was a productive session characterised by reflection, shared learning, and strategic planning. The collective efforts and shared insights from all the attendees reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to fulfilling the mission of the diocese.

By Fr. Anil Lobo