Welcome to Carmelgiri

The call of Pope Francis to celebrate October 2019 as an Extra-Ordinary Missionary Month, in connection with the centenary of the promulgation of the apostolic letter “Maximum Illud” on the Activity of Missionaries in the World, triggers serious reflections on the different dimensions of mission. The words of the Risen Lord, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation” (Mk 16:15) make the basic mandate given to every Christian.

The Church is basically and intrinsically missionary. This aspect is not to be diluted. However, a closer look reveals that mission is not just gaining others for the Church, but is Church’s being for others. That is, the Church participating in the joy & hope and the sorrow & fear of the people of today through the dynamic of the Gospel so that she functions as the catalyst for vigour, encouragement and consolation, which finally blossom into the kingdom of God.

In this context Carmelgiri Research Institute for Community Development and Pastoral Studies (CRI cdps), intends through this national conference to create a platform for serious deliberations and sharing on various aspects of witnessing to the Gospel, so that a healthy, all-embracing and holistic approach is arrived at. To realize this it is important that the topic is treated not only from an ecclesiastical or a theological perspective but also from a philosophical, sociological, psychological or even from a political perspective.

RIC cdpf: Research Institute of Carmelgiri for Community Development and Pastoral Formation is a Catholic Institution that envisages the education and formation of those involved in ecclesial ministry and leadership. It functions at Carmelgiri St. Joseph Pontifical Seminary, Aluva. It operates as the interface between the academic world and the pastoral reality and aims at translating the insights of the Second Vatican Council into pastoral practices so that all can take their appropriate roles in the local faith-community.

Some Topics for Deliberations:

Witnessing Christ: Scriptural Perspective
The Plausibility of Christianity in the Pluralistic World
Insights of Vatican II on the Missionary Call of the Church
Socio-philosophical Dimensions of Religion
The Right to Profess and Propagate One’s Religion
Re-evangelisation or Second Evangelisation
Christendom, Christianity and Christianness
Interreligious Dialogue: Opportunities and Challenges
“Anonymous Christians”

Ecumenism

Life-witnesses of Saintly Missionaries
“Heart to Heart-Project” initiated by KRLCC during the Last Latin Catholic
Convention of October 2017 at Vallarpadam.
Faith and Psychology
Contributions of Missionaries in India/Kerala
Missionary Contributions from Kerala/India.

You are most welcome to participate in this national conference as a presenter and/or active listener. For a presentation, you can choose any topic mentioned above or connected with the central theme of the conference.

The following are the different possibilities for the participants:

Making a long/short presentation (40 minutes’ presentation followed by an interaction of 12 minutes or 15 minutes’ presentation followed by an interaction of 7 minutes).
A group consisting of a maximum of 5 persons representing your esteemed institution makes a poster presentation.
A skit or any form of art connected with the topic with a duration of a maximum of 20 minutes.
Participating as an active listener and contributing to deliberations during the interactive sessions

For Participants:

Those making presentations please send your papers (ca. 5000 words for long presentation and ca. 2000 words for short presentation) before December 20, 2019, as the proceedings of the conference will be released at the inaugural function. Selected papers without presentation can also be included in the proceedings.
Please send the duly filled registration form as early as possible specifying the accommodation requirement, food habits, etc., not later than December 12, 2019.
The registration form is attached.

Target Group:

Faculty and Students of Major Seminaries in India, Academic and Research Staff, members of ACSA and People involved & interested in the field.

Dynamics:

Keynote Addresses, Paper Presentation, Panel Discussion, Sharing, Deliberations, Poster Presentations, Cultural/Art items, etc.

For further information and updates: [email protected]; [email protected]

Organizing Team:

Dr. Chacko Puthenpurackal, Fr. Antony Kuzhuvelil, Dr. Clement Valluvassery, Dr. Charles Leon, Dr. Sugun Leon, Dr. Bijoy Augustine Marottikal, Members of ACSA, Members of Theophilos, Media and Writers Forums.

Programme

January 20, 2020

8.30 Registration

9.00 Poster Exhibition

9.30 Inauguration:
Inaugural Address: Rt. Rev. Dr. Varghese Chakkalakal, Bishop of Calicut and Chairman of the Episcopal Commission for the Seminary

Presidential Address and Introduction to RIC cdpf: Rev. Dr. Chacko Puthenpurackal

10.40 to 10.55 Tea Break

10.55 to 11.45 Keynote Address: Prof. Dr. Francis Gonsalves SJ

11.45 to 12.35 Presentation 1: Rev. Dr. D. Alphonse

Called to Witness: Church’s Primary Mission Today.

12.35 to 14.00 Lunch Break

Concurrent Sessions

14.00 to 16.00

Presentation 2: Rev. Dr. Antony Kurisingal
Interreligious Dialogue: Opportunities and Challenges.

Presentation 3: Rev. Dr. Bijoy Augustine Marottikal
Telling the Story of Jesus in the Multi-religious India: Towards a Mission Christology.

Presentation 4: Rev. Dr. Charles Leon
Contemporary Socio-Political Challenges ahead of Christian Witnessing in India.

Presentation 5: Rev. Dr. Kuriakose Poovathumkudy
Centennial Reminiscence: Re-reading of Maximum Illud.

Presentation 6: Rev. Dr. Raju Plathottam
Role of Education in the Context of Mission in the 21st Century.

Presentation 7: Rev. Sr. Dr. Ruby CTC
Contributions of Missionaries in India/Kerala and Their Psychological Impacts.

Presentation 8: Rev. Dr. Shaji Jerman
Dependence to Transcendence: Mission Diocese into a Missionary Diocese.

Presentation 9: Rev. Fr. D. Shajkumar
A New Evangelization in Action: A Case Study of Anjappam-Neyyattinkara.

Presentation 10: Rev. Dr. Sugun Leon
Communication of Trinitarian Mission Today.

Presentation 11: Rev. Dr. Sujan Amurutham
The Gospel-Values Unveiled in the Main Stories of T. Padmanabhan.

Scholars Meet – Concept Paper: Research and Scholarship Collaboration for Pastoral Excellence and Community Development – Possibilities and New Initiatives of a Common Platform.
Rev. Dr. Johny Xavier Puthukkattu

16.00 to18.00 Tea Break & Leisure

Plenary Sessions

18.00 to18.30 Evening Prayer

18.30 to 19.15 Presentation12: Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara

Missio ad gentes: The Perennial Mission of the Church in India.

19.15 to 20.00 Presentation 13: Rev. Dr. Jenson Puthenveettil

De-islandification of Faith – Philosophical View.

20.00 Supper

21.00 to 21.50 Cultural Programme

January 21, 2020

9.00 to 9.10 Resume

9.10 to 10.00 Presentation 14: Swami Dr. Sachiddananda Bharati

Sanyasa – A Hindu-Christian Meeting Point.

10.00 to 10.50 Presentation 15: Rev. Sr. Dr. Teresa CSST

Transformative Pathways of Education in Nation Building: Contributions of Christian Missionaries – A Historical Analysis.

10.50 to 11.10 Break/ Tea/Coffee

11.10 to 11.55 Presentation 16: Rev. Dr. Joy Puthussery ISch

Integrated Life for an Integrated Mission.

11.55 to 12.40 Presentation 17: Rev. Dr. Xavier Francis Tharamel SJ

Christian Models of Pluralistic Engagements.

12.40 to 14.00 Lunch Break

14.00 to 14.20 Presentation 18: Rev. Dn. Thomas Joosa

A Heiddeggarian Reading of Markan Temptation Account (Mk1:12-13).

14.20 to 14.55 Presentation 19: Rev. Dr. Vincent Kundukulam

Plausibility of Christianity in a Pluralistic World.

15.00 to 16.15 Valedictory Function

Chief Guest: Rev. Dr. Gasper Kadaviparambil.