Circular 39/2024
November 15, 2024
My dear collaborators,
The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has issued a Pastoral Plan, entitled “Journeying towards a Synodal Church Mission 2033”.
I am aware of the fact that a number of you are wondering what the Pastoral Plan of the CCBI is all about. We are aware that the Universal Church has concluded the Synod on Synodality, a process which enthused all of us to walk together and to listen to one another, fostering communion, participation and embracing our mission. Some of us partook in the sessions organized at the Diocesan, Regional and National levels. One of the questions uppermost in the mind of the CCBI is “where is God calling the Church to be by 2033?” when we celebrate the Great Jubilee of our Redemption. To reflect on the question, the Latin Church in India comprising Bishops, Clergy, Religious men and women and youth participated in a one-year process at the regional and diocesan levels. The fruit of this process has been the Pastoral Plan which was presented to and approved by the members of the 94th Executive Committee of the CCBI on May 07, 2024.
The Pastoral Plans have been prepared for 23 entities of the CCBI: 15 Commissions (Youth, Ecology, Family, Liturgy, Migrants, etc.); 4 Departments (Communio, Bio-Ethics Forum, etc.) and 4 Apostolates (Education, Health, etc.).
I will be sending the Pastoral Plan to the respective Heads of the Commissions in our Diocese so that with the help of the Core Committee of the Commissions, we could see how best we can put the Pastoral Plan into action in our Diocese.
May I request you to cooperate with the Commission Heads so that all of us contribute towards making our Diocese a synodal entity.
Thank you for your valuable services to our Diocese and with every good wish,
Yours in Christ,
+Barthol Barretto
Bishop, Diocese of Nashik