SANNIDHI 23 November 2022
Shimoga: The Diocesan Commissions Directors' Meeting was held in the presence of the members of tha Shimoga Diocese Pastoral Plan Implementation Committee with the Bishop as the Chairman, Vicar General, Diocesan Coordinator of the Pastoral Commissions and Deans of the four deaneries. All directors with the exception of three were present for the meeting.
The meeting began with an invocation to the Almighty by Fr Francis Fernandes and Fr Roshan Pinto welcomed the members present for the meeting. The Coordinator, Fr Duming Dias, set the tone of the meeting informing the members that it is the meeting of the Year and hence, a Review cum Report Presentation cum Presentation of Action Plan Meeting. In the review point, the directors were asked to present the number of programmes planned and implemented and the challenges they faced in implementation. Then they would present report of the activities of the past three months and the Action Plan 2023.
All the members quite enthusiastically presented the reports and the action plan for the year 2023. Some of the challenges they came across are said to be global and they are:
1. At the Regional level, Bible, Catechetics and Liturgy are 3 separate Commissions. There is a need to spilt the three in the diocese.
2. Catechetics involves a laborious process
3. Pre-conceived ideas to meet personal needs llike jobs, govt facilities, etc(Labour)
4. Promotion and Support
5. Same persons for many Commissions
The Chairman of the Implementation Committee, Most Rev Dr Francis Serrao SJ, in his final remarks, announced that the Year 2023 would be declared as the Year of Girl Child and Women in the diocese. Further, he admonished the the directors to be more inclusive i. e inclusion of children, youth, elders, women, neglected, differently abed, etc in the Commissions and also on our mandatory bodies. Later he emphasised the need for the directors to attend the Regional and National Meetings and present the reports.
He requested the Commission Directors to collaborate with thr Deans in achieving the aims and objectives of Vision 2025 of the Diocese. He then informed that the SCC would be called hereafter as the Basic Ecclesi al Community - BECs. He had words of appreciation for all the directors for their acumen services to make the Kingdom of God present in our midst. The Vicar General, Msgr Felix Noronha, who was present for the deliberations, applauded the yeomen services of the Directors and was happy to note that the Commissions are working in the right direction. The Deans also presented their reports as well as the action plan for their deanery. Fr Pius D'Souza proposed the vote of thanks. Fr Francis Fernandes said the Angelus. The meeting got concluded at 1.30pm.