Pastoral Council at Sangamam

The fifth meeting of the Seventh Pastoral Council was held at Sangamam on 01 May 2026. The inaugural session began at 9:45 AM with a prayer led by Fr. Mijo Puthenpurackal. Mrs. Baby Juliet Saroja, one of the council members, welcomed everyone, and Mr. Shonic Regan, the Joint Secretary, presented the minutes of the previous meeting. I presided over the meeting. During the introductory session, Fr. Justin Cheruvelil introduced a book titled ‘Indeevaram’, and its author, Mr. John Kumari Thozhan, was formally honoured with a traditional shawl. In my presidential and introductive address, I emphasized that true evangelization is rooted in sharing Christ’s love through action, seeking out
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the marginalized as taught by Pope Francis, and relying on the Holy Spirit. This was followed by a keynote address from Rev. Fr. Darbello Christudas, the resource person of the day, on the title ‘Life of Faith and Sharing’, where he utilized Vatican II documents and scripture to outline the three-fold purpose of the pastoral council: to investigate, reflect, and propose practical solutions for the good of the diocese.
Focusing on strengthening faith in the parishes, the council members engaged in a productive group discussion and recommended prioritizing daily family prayer, encouraging parents to live as exemplary role models, nurturing the faith of catechism students, and actively motivating youth to participate in pious associations. The meeting then transitioned into a general Q&A session for open community discussion, followed by my concluding remarks. Official announcements and future directions were presented by the Director, Rev. Fr. Thomas Sathyanesan, and the session officially concluded with vote of thanks delivered by Mr. Augustine. I express my sincere gratitude to Rev. Fr. Thomas Sathianesan, the former Director, and his team for their excellent coordination in organizing this fifth meeting of the Seventh Pastoral Council.