Bishop’s Message
Dear Rev. Fathers, Sisters and Brothers,
Greetings!
As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15 every year, we are reminded that this great feast is a message of hope for our times. Many people today feel discouraged as they face unending war, violence, poverty, loneliness and uncertainty. To many, the world seems to have lost its direction and hope. In an age of AI, Pope Leo reminds us that the danger is our hearts may grow cold even as our machines become more intelligent (Magnifica Humanitas, nos. 129-130). In the Assumption of Mary, God assures us that hope is stronger than despair and life is stronger than death. The dogma tells us that the humble Virgin of Nazareth who shared the joys and sorrows of ordinary life has been taken body and soul into heavenly glory. She reminds us in ‘The Song of Hope: the Magnificat’ that God never forgets the poor, the suffering, the forgotten and the marginalized. Mary’s Assumption proclaims that every human person has an eternal destiny and that our journey does not end in darkness but in the fullness of life with God. As we celebrate this feast, let us entrust ourselves and our world to the loving care of our Blessed Mother.
I hope all of you remember the Socio-Economic Survey of the Catholics in Tamil Nadu 2025-2026 undertaken by the TNLBC over the past two years. LISSTAR, Loyola College, Chennai served as the nodal agency. The survey studied the socio-economic and demographic realities of Catholic families across Tamil Nadu and in each diocese. It provides valuable data at the state, diocesan and parish levels. Be that as it may, the much-awaited survey report was released on Thursday, July 9, during the annual meeting of the Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council held at Pillar, Madurai.
The survey offers many unexpected insights. It presents encouraging signs, reveals certain disturbing trends and identifies important challenges which demand our serious attention. Along with the report of the Church in Tamil Nadu, every diocese has received its own detailed report with pertinent findings and practical recommendations. Parish-wise data also helps every parish understand its own social, economic and pastoral realities and needs.
This is perhaps the first time that we possess such comprehensive, scientific and reliable data about our Catholic faithful of Tamil Nadu. Such information is invaluable. Hence, the real value of this survey is not simply in reading the report but in making good use of it. I sincerely believe that these findings can become a powerful instrument for our preparation of strategic pastoral planning, both at the diocesan and parish levels, if they are studied seriously by our diocese, pastoral commissions, institutions and parishes. They can help us identify priorities and respond to emerging challenges and prepare a realistic pastoral planning suited to the actual needs of our people.
Actually, as we know, this is the spirit of a Synodal Church: to listen, to discern and to act together. Pope Francis has often reminded us that pastoral ministry cannot remain content with routine but must respond creatively to the realities of the people and plan for the future with a missionary vision. In Evangelii Gaudium, he calls the Church to move from mere administration to a missionary pastoral ministry which plans with purpose and responds to real situations (EG, nos. 25-33). Seen in this perspective, the findings and recommendations of this survey give us a strong foundation for preparing a realistic and effective pastoral plan for our diocese and for every parish.
Over the past years, I have completed my first pastoral visit to all 95 parishes of our diocese and have visited more than 20 parishes a second time. These visits have helped me understand both the strengths, challenges and the pastoral needs. One important need is a well-prepared pastoral plan including a financial plan. Many of our parishes still do not have one, though several priests have expressed a sincere desire for guidance. With this in mind, the College of Consultors proposed the preparation of a Parish Pastoral Pan Guidebook. A team of priests worked on it for the past few years and it is now ready. I sincerely thank Frs. Romald and Johnson for initiating this work, Frs. Edwin John and Alphonse D for their guidance and especially Fr. Vincent B Wilson, whose hard work brought this to completion. I hope this guidebook will be released soon and become a valuable help for every parish to prepare its own parish pastoral plan.
The above-said survey helps us understand the present reality of our people, while pastoral planning helps us respond to that reality in a meaningful and missionary way. In other words, the survey tells us where we are and a pastoral plan shows us where we need to go and how we can get there. This is why the Parish Pastoral Planning Guidebook is both timely and important. It is a practical tool that will help every parish translate the findings of the survey into clear priorities, realistic goals and concrete pastoral actions.
To bring together the three themes I have reflected on, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary reminds us that Christian hope is never separated from the realities of life. At the same time, the Socio-Economic Survey invites us to engage honestly with the joys, struggles and hopes of our Catholic families. It calls us to prayerful discernment and pastoral action. The Parish Pastoral Planning Guidebook is our response to that call. It helps every parish to read the signs of the times, set clear priorities and journey together towards a missionary Church. Inspired by the hope revealed in the Assumption of Mary, attentive to the realities brought to light by the Socio-Economic Survey and committed to the path of Parish Pastoral Planning, may our diocese and every parish become true signs of hope, witnessing to the fullness of life.
Wish you all a happy feast of our Lady of Assumption and a happy Independence Day!