By Sujata Jena
Bhubaneswar: The diocese of Berhampur in Odisha has opened the largest holistic laity center in the eastern Indian state.
Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak of Berhampur inaugurated the “Anugraha Peetho”(center of grace) on December 27 at Mohana in the Gajapati district.
In his address at the inaugural function, Bishop Nayak thanked the Almighty for fulfilling a “long-awaited dream” of the Odisha Church.
“Anugraha Peetho is a place to receive grace and to thank the Lord for the grace received. It is not merely a retreat center, rather a center for social, economic and political conscientization,” he added.
The center has laity as its executive body members.
One of them, Proful Kumar Lima, said, “It has been over 12 years since we have been trying to build up this center. For this, we had launched a newsletter called “anugraha” (grace) through which people come to know the Word of God.”
John Baptista Behera, another executive body member, said, “From the time of its planning, I have been part of it and each of us including the faithful has contributed to it through prayers and financial support though we are poor. Today, we are proud to see the completion of the building. We wish the center would stand as a model place in our diocese.”
Bishop Nayak said the center aims to promote the empowerment of the laity, ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, and discussions for unity and fraternity among all.
It would help build relationship with the representatives of local government and network for the advancement of social, economic and political rights and entitlements of the people, the prelate added.
The center also aims at providing leadership training to the laity and prepares them for the upcoming ‘panchayat’ (local) elections.
It is to facilitate women empowerment programs among the rural women, build up strategies for caring for our common home (the earth) and provide respectful pastoral guidance to the faithful.
It is a digital media center that would proclaim and propagate the Word of God to all.
The prelate also officially introduced Father Martyn Chintamoni Porichha as director of the center.
Father Porichha has studied and trained in scripture and magisterium, classical Hindustani and Christian music for five years in the National Center for New Evangelization and Proclamation (Conference of Catholic Bishops’ of India) at Suvarta Kendra, Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh, central India.
Father Porichha said the center would welcome every state of the individual, every sort of family, community, parish and institution and help them experience God’s love.
Lay leaders — Bijayanand Singh and Pedro Nayak are the other executive members of the center.
Singh, a social worker, revealed that the center would serve as a human formation center where many would come and experience love, peace, spiritual and social wellness and spread the same in the neighborhood.
According to Pedro Nayak, ‘Anugraha’ is mercy and compassion. When these two are blended, grace is experienced. I wish everyone to experience these through this center.”
The center is partially built. In two years, it would become the largest holistic center of the Catholic Church of Odisha surpassing Jharsuguda regional center, the director exclaimed.
Thank you Sr. Sujata for sharing such good information.
Very inspiring . Congrats! to all who made it possible.