Goa: Future priests would be ready to be builder of the church.

Thus said Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt of Palai (Kerala) addressing the 16th annual meet of the Association of Rectors of Major Seminaries (ARMS) in India at St Joseph Vaz Spiritual Renewal Centre, Goa on Nov 3.

The Nov. 3-7 seminar will deliver on the theme “Intellectual Formation”.

Intellectual formation in seminaries needs to address the needs of the church. All aspects for seminary training should gear seminarians to work for the church with competence, commitment and compassion, said the prelate.

Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao of Goa and Daman and Vice-President of Conference of Catholic Bishops in India (CCBI-Latin Rite) and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India inaugurated the annual meet.

The other notable persons who addressed the meet included Jesuit Father Jose Thayil, president of ARMS, Father I. Raymond Joseph, Secretary of CCBI Commission for Vocation and Seminaries, Bishop Udumala Bala Showreddy of Warangal, Chairman of CCBI Commission for Seminaries and Patron of ARMS.

The key resource person was Jesuit Father M. Amaladoss, Director, Institute of Dialogue with Cultures and Religions (IDCR) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He is a leading theologian.

He spoke on Intellectual Formation of Priests (IFP): Perspectives from the Official Documents of the Church, Challenges to IFP in the Indian Context: Contextualization, Inculturation and Integration, the Situation of IFP today – Sharing experience and questions in groups Proposals for the Future.

About 70 participants across the country are attending the meeting.