India’s 1st mission congress aims to inspire further mission work

(Oct.13, 2009): The Indian Church's first Mission Congress aims to help people share publicly the joy of believing in Christ and inspire others to work for the Gospel, said its organizers. About 1,500 Catholics from India's 160 dioceses are expected for the Oct. 14-18 Indian Mission Congress to be held at Mumbai. Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, apostolic nuncio to India, will open the congress titled, "Prabhu Yesu Mahotsav" or “Lord Jesus grand festival”. The festival is a follow up of the Asian Mission Congress held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, three years ago.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Bombay, president of the organizing committee said the congress aims to bring about a deeper awareness among participants and the whole Church in India, of what it means to be a Christian, and a more sincere commitment to live as Christians. The cardinal noted that the Catholic Church is the biggest provider of education after the Indian government. Catholic education aims to provide all-round formation to produce people who contribute to society, he said and added that another major service the Church offers is in healthcare. Cardinal Gracias said that during the congress, delegates would share their experiences in these and other areas of work. Such sharing, he added, would inspire others to work for Christ. The Cardinal said the festival will also portray the life of the Indian Church in multi-religious and multi-cultural India and it will also seek ways to reach out to people of other religions.