The Kalyan Diocese celebrated the Teacher’s Day programme on 2nd October 2017, at St. Joseph’s Church, Powai. Around 450 catechists from all over the diocese participated in the event. The day’s programs began with a prayer by Fr. Shaiju Katayath, asst. director of the dept. , followed by an ice-breaking session by Mr. Anthony, Forane Secretary of the Kalina Forane, which activated the minds with ease and kindled the day with fun.
The keynote session of the day by Fr. Cleetus D’souza, the Secretary of the Indian Catechetical Association, also a theologian, a philosopher, an educationist and a spiritual overseer. The topic of the session was, “Communicating faith in the 21st century- tasks and challenges.” He started with the quote, “No new shoots without deep roots.” Fr. Cleetus focused on how detrimental are the current world situations and its influence is so deep and potential to unroot the tender and forming faith of today’s children. He stated that “A happily balanced faith in God is a healthy balanced faith and the sole responsibility to inform, transform and restore this lies in the hands of the catechists”. He expressed his views that “A catechist or a faith former should be updated with the instantaneous happenings of the world, he should be universal, should act in the “now time”, should be visual and multilingually efficient and effective to the present generation of children”. Fr. Cleetus initiated a new methodology called Imagineering in the teaching process, which combines the power of imagination and the productiveness of engineering. He defined the three Cs of being a good and effective catechism teacher as Creative, Competent and Content (rich in content knowledge). He gave a new long form of the word Faith as “finding answers in Him” where our hearts should be filled with the bliss of the love of Jesus and our Heavenly Father. Fr. Cleetus’s session was indeed very informative and was substantially filled with every required and necessary ideas and philosophies that brushed the minds of a catechist reminding them their purpose. Followed by the session was the Holy Qurbana celebrated by Fr. Biju Mannamcheril, the Director of Faith Formation Dept. and Fr. Shaiju Katayath – Asst Director.
Post lunch was the scholarship awards, service award and excellent unit award distributions, publishing of Insight and Eucharistia posters’ ceremony, under the presence and blessings of His Excellency Mar Thomas Elavanal, Bishop of Kalyan Diocese. His Excellency was welcomed with a spiritual bouquet presented by the students of the diocese. His Grace Bishop congratulated the teachers for their selfless efforts and dedication towards the young growing shoots of the Kalyan Diocese. His Excellency Bishop added that “God has chosen these Catechists to be his disciples to sow and reap a bountiful harvest of faithful Catholics”. The day’s event ended by cultural events by the students of the Borivali Forane. Indeed it was a very memorable and enjoyable event for the teachers of the diocese.
Appeared in www.catholicfocus.in on 03rd Oct 2017
Written – By Ajitha Shaju