Northeast Church Leaders Chart Strategic Mission for 2033

Guwahati, March 12, 2026: Leaders of the Catholic Church in Northeast India gathered in Guwahati for a two-day strategic planning meeting aimed at contextualising and implementing the National Pastoral Plan 2033 in the region.

The meeting, hosted at the North East Diocesan Social Service Societies (NEDSSS), brought together archbishops, bishops, major superior generals, provincial superiors, priests, women religious and lay leaders from across Northeast India. The gathering focused on shaping practical pastoral strategies that respond to the region’s unique cultural and social realities while advancing the Church’s broader national vision for mission.

Inaugurating the meeting, Archbishop John Moolachira, Archbishop of Guwahati and President of the North East India Regional Bishops’ Council (NEIRBC), said the region has already begun preparing for the vision leading up to 2033.

According to the Archbishop, since 2024 each of the 15 dioceses in Northeast India has been celebrating a nine-year action plan aligned with the national pastoral framework. Currently the celebrations are underway in Dibrugharh diocese with the theme ‘Priests’.

“The purpose of this meeting is to develop concrete action plans to reach the unreached and bring the Gospel to every level of society while implementing the National Pastoral Plan 2033 in the context of Northeast India,” he said.

Fr GP Amalraj, Deputy Secretary General of NEIRBC, welcomed the participants, while the opening prayer was led by Sr Teresa Joseph, Secretary of the Regional Unit of the Catholic Religious in India, together with Sr. Benedicta BS.

During the discussions, Bp George Pallipparambil, Bishop of Miao and Chairman of the Proclamation Commission of NEIRBC, urged Church leaders to refocus on the central Christian mission of evangelisation.

“We have discussed many topics over the years, but it is time to reorient ourselves to the one mission that defines us as Christians—evangelization,” he said.

Addressing the gathering on the theme “Mission 2033 for the Northeast Region,” Manoj Sunny, International Coordinator of Jesus Youth and Global 33, highlighted what he described as “Gospel poverty” in India, noting that an estimated 1.37 billion people have yet to hear or accept Christ.

Quoting the missionary vision articulated by Pope Francis, he remarked that depriving people of the joy of the Gospel is a profound injustice.

Sunny outlined four priorities for the Church in the coming years: building a synodal Church in mission, empowering the laity to proclaim the Gospel, nurturing a youth-centred Church, and addressing practical challenges such as time constraints, convenience and financial limitations in missionary outreach.

Fr Stephen Alathara, Deputy General Secretary of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), commended the Church in Northeast India for its missionary dynamism.

“The Pastoral Plan 2033 that we are implementing is the result of extensive consultations and discussions at the grassroots level,” he noted.

Highlighting the growing importance of digital communication, Fr Cyril Victor Joseph, Coordinator of the CCBI Media Apostolate, emphasized the need for evangelisation through digital platforms, especially in the region’s diverse native languages and dialects.

“Digital media has become a culture that shapes human interaction. It provides a powerful platform for evangelization and offers new opportunities for the Church to live out the vision of a synodal community,” he said.

The meeting concluded with the launch of Digi Word, a digital evangelisation initiative of the Claretian Missionaries in Northeast India. Spearheaded by Fr John Thurackal, Secretary of the Bible Commission of NEIRBC, the platform provides daily Scripture readings and reflections, devotional hymns, Bible quizzes and catechetical resources, while also integrating with major social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

The initiative is expected to strengthen digital evangelisation efforts across Northeast India and support the Church’s broader pastoral mission in the lead-up to 2033.

By Fr Felix Antony