West Bengal–Sikkim Bible Commission Plans 13 Measures to Strengthen Biblical Apostolate

ASANSOL, October 15, 2026: The West Bengal–Sikkim Regional Bible Commission has proposed 13 measures to strengthen biblical ministry, including training lay Bible ministers, documenting regional Bible translations and exploring the establishment of a centre for biblical formation in West Bengal.

The proposals emerged from the commission’s two-day regional meeting held on October 13–14 at Chetana Ashram, the pastoral centre of the Diocese of Asansol.

Twenty-six participants, including eight diocesan secretaries, priests, religious and lay faithful, attended the meeting. Fr. Patrick Mathias SDB, Executive Secretary of the Commission for Bible of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), served as the resource person under the leadership of Fr. Alex Ancheles CMF, Regional Secretary of the Biblical Commission (BRBC).

Bishop Paul Simick, associated with the regional Bible Commission for Bengal, could not attend due to unavoidable commitments.

Addressing the participants, Fr. Patrick emphasised that renewal in the Church begins with a renewed encounter with Sacred Scripture. He urged those engaged in biblical ministry to move beyond teaching biblical knowledge and help people encounter God through his Word.

“The Church is born from the Word, nourished by the Word, guided by the Word, and sent forth by the Word,” he said, calling for a shift from imparting information to fostering personal and community transformation through Scripture.

Fr. Patrick conducted sessions on reading, studying and interpreting the Bible, presented 105 practical initiatives to strengthen the biblical apostolate in the region, and explained the roles and responsibilities of Ministers of the Word of God in dioceses and parishes.

Bible Translation and Pastoral Initiatives

Sharing experiences from the region, Fr. Arun Francis Tamang, Diocesan Secretary of Darjeeling, spoke about his work translating the Bible into Nepali from the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts.

Fr. Sarto Innacimuthu, Secretary of the Asansol Diocesan Bible Commission, presented an overview of biblical ministry in the diocese and his work with Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs).

Diocesan secretaries also reported on their respective initiatives. Based on these presentations, Fr. Alex and Fr. Patrick guided participants in identifying priorities and planning future programmes.

The 13 recommendations included documenting Bible translations undertaken in different regions, conducting a national-level study on the biblical apostolate and the use of Scripture in ecclesial communities, and preparing a regional directory of Bible scholars.

The commission also proposed training catechism teachers and young people, forming 132 lay Bible ministers, organising Bible quizzes and exploring the establishment of a dedicated centre for Bible courses and biblical formation in West Bengal.

Reflecting on the theme The Primacy of Hearing the Word of God, Fr. Patrick drew on the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8:4–15 to emphasise the importance of interior silence, attentiveness and obedience in receiving Scripture.

He concluded by recalling the prophet Jeremiah’s description of God’s Word as “a fire in the bones” (Jeremiah 20:9), urging participants to allow a deep encounter with Scripture to shape their lives and ministry.

By Catholic Connect Reporter