Nagpur: Addressing over 75 priests representing various dioceses across the India, Bishop Udamala Balshow expressed a dire need for diocesan priests to associate and strengthen each other in the ministry to hold the Church together by ministering more effectively to Christian families.
“Diocesan priests are like little islands who need the support of each other and greater communion and a coming together to add meaning and strength to the Priestly ministry. The Conference of Diocesan Priests in India (CDPI) is one such body that has been effectively serving this purpose”.
The Prelate who is Patron of the CDPI and Chairman of the CBCI Commission of Clergy and also Bishop of Warangal inaugurated the Conference at the Pallotine Animation Centre in Nagpur.
The 3-day conference will mull over the theme “Effective ministry to families in the Light of the Synod’ and discuss issues threatening the future of Christian families and how diocesan priests and be instrumental in strengthening the spirituality in Christian families.
Resource persons present for the conference were Bishop Thomas Dabre, Chairman of the Commission for Clergy in the Western Region, Rev. Dr. Arulraj Gali of the CCBI commission for the family, who represented India at the Vatican Synod, Rev. Dr. John Kulandai (former National Secretary of the CDPI) and Mrs. Dr. Yolande Pereira (marriage and family counselor) based in Mumbai. National Secretary of the CDPI, Rev. Dr. Raymond Joseph put the steered the Conference sessions