By Matters India Reporter
Tallur, June 25, 2024: As many as 20 young people from seven Indian states have committed to becoming lay missionaries through the Communio missionary training program.
The commitment ceremony took place on June 23 at St. Francis Assisi Church at Tallur, Udupi diocese, Karnataka.
The second batch of the missionary training program organized by Communio in collaboration with the Youth Commission of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India was inaugurated by Father Stephen Alathara, Deputy Secretary General, CCBI, and the Director of Communio.
Earlier in March 2024, the Youth Commission trained 30 youth for their missionary journey.
The Communio Missionary Training Program that began on June 22 will conclude on June 27 when the trainees take the missionary pledge before Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo Udupi.
The selected volunteers, chosen for their diverse linguistic, cultural, and environmental backgrounds, are being immersed in the local culture by staying with twenty families from St. Francis Assisi parish. The arrangement aims to provide firsthand experience of Catholic life in Dakshina Kannada, mirroring the essence of missionary work.
The participants expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity. Smriti Kujur, an electricity board employee from Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh diocese, said the program has given the chance to fulfill her ambition of becoming a missionary.
Aneesh Challa, an ICYM leader from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, highlighted the program’s impact on his faith journey. “It’s not just about missionary work; it’s about deepening our faith and connecting with like-minded individuals,” Challa explained.
Doctor Roma Sah, a young medical practitioner from Patna, Bihar, sees the program as an opportunity to serve the Church through her profession. “I am excited to combine my medical expertise with missionary work,” she added.
Father Chetan Machado, the project director of Communio Missionary Training program, expressed optimism about the programme’s future. “The enthusiasm we are seeing is inspiring. We are committed to organizing more such training programs to meet this growing interest,” he stated.
Throughout the program, the participants studied topics, including ‘We are the Church,’ ‘Every Christian is a Missionary,’ ‘Media for Mission Volunteering,’ ‘Missionary
Disciples in the Digital World,’ and ‘ICYM Leaders as Mission Volunteers.’ They were guided on ways to amplify the visibility of local churches through content creation. Resource persons, including Fathers Alathara, Vignan Das, Machado, Edwin D’Souza and Supriya Varghese, a lay woman.
The organizers said the program not only aims to train young leaders in missionary work but seeks to foster a deeper understanding of diverse Indian cultures and the challenges faced by different communities.
The holistic approach is expected to equip the volunteers with the skills and sensitivity needed for effective missionary work in various parts of the country, they added.