Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Miao (Agenzia Fides) – In the small villages of Northeastern India, a mountainous area inhabited by tribes, the Year of St. Paul is being celebrated with great solemnity and activity. As the Bishop of Miao (in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh), His Excellency George Pallipparambil (Salesian), tells Agenzia Fides, the local Church has been holding events for the Year of Saint Paul, in parishes, schools, and small villages, visited only by catechists.
A “Year of St. Paul Committee” has been established for organizing Church activities, even in the small towns that compose the diocesan territory, including instructive games for small children, seminars on Saint Paul for young people, and encounters using films that tell of the story of the Apostle and help to understand his importance in the Church’s mission.
The most important event, Bishop George told Fides, will be the creation of two “Schools of Evangelization” that will take place among the youth groups during the Year of St. Paul. They will end in May 2009, in Roing, for a closing encounter to share experiences and make an evaluation.
The theme of evangelization will affect all the faithful. In the area of Tirap, where the population of Catholics is most numerous, a program entitled “The importance of evangelization, according to the example of Saint Paul,” will be offered to the laity, religious, and priests who wish to reaffirm evangelization as a priority in the local Church.
The Year of St. Paul has also led to the construction of new churches and charity centers. In the town of Cinkoi, a new Church was opened, consecrated to the Apostles Peter and Paul. The Bishop and a large group of faithful gathered together in honor of the solemn celebration.
There was also a new mission established for the poor and marginalized. It is named after Mother Teresa of Calcutta and opened its doors on June 28 in Kharsang: “It has been a historic moment for Arunachal Pradesh, where there is often hostility towards Christians, even on an official level,” local Church sources said.
“However, what we are most proud of,” the Bishop told Fides, “is the group of newly baptized that we have welcomed into the Catholic community on the occasion of the inauguration of the Year of Saint Paul,” in the mission of Kanubari. “This is what continues to give us hope and encouragement in our small local Church, in spite of the difficulties, the lack of resources, and the harsh aspects of the land.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides 7/7/2008)
