Church in India

Church of India 3 Rites

Latin Rite
Syro - Malabar Rite
Syro - Malankara Rite

What is CCBI?
National Episcopal Body of the Latin Catholic Bishops.
It is one of the four biggest Bishops Conferences of the
world.
It has 128 dioceses and 173 active and retired bishop
members.
One of the main purposes of CCBI according to its
statutes is to promote that greater good which the
Church offers humankind especially through fora and
programmes of the apostolate which are adequately
adapted to the circumstances of time and space
(Statutes, art. 3:1).

Conference of Catholic Bishops of India ( CCBI)

12 Commissions.
1.Bible

7.Laity

2.Catechetics

8.Liturgy

3.Canon law and other 9.Proclamation

legislative texts

10. Vocations, Seminaries,

4.Doctrine and Theology

Clergy and Religious

5.Ecumenism

11.Women

6.Family

12.Youth

CCBI Laity Commission

Chairperson : Most
Rev. Stanley Roman

Member : Most Rev.

Salvadore Lobo

CCBI Laity Commission

Members: Most Rev. Secretary : Mr. Gordon
Stephen Rotluanga
Morris

Involvement Of Laity In The Mission Of The Church

1. THROUGH PIOUS ASSOCIATIONS & MINISTRIES
St. Vincent De Paul Society
Legion of Mary
Catholics Sabhas etc.
Renewal Programmes (Charismatic Retreats)
Mission (before feasts)
Through Lay Ministries
Through Women Commission
Commissions of Proclamation, Bible ,
Catechetics, Family
2. THROUGH SCCS.
- Approx 50,000 SCCs in the country

Involvement Of Laity In The Life Of The Church

Through Parish Pastoral Councils: In many cases the
members of the Parish Pastoral Councils come from
the Small Christian Communities and are
representative of the sections of the People of God
in the Parish

In many dioceses and parishes there are Parish

Finance Committees where in the Laity plays a very
prominent role in administering the funds of the
parish as well being responsible for mobilizing
funds for the pastoral activities

 Through The Commission for Proclamation

Proclamation::
Philip Courses which prepare Priests, Religious and
especially Laity for the work of evangelization and
the proposed School of Evangelization
Through the Commission of Bible
Bible::
Bible translations into local languages and
conducting Bible Courses for laity
Through the Commission of Catechetics
Preparing courses for the training of Catechists
and courses for Sunday School teachers

 Through the Commission for Family

Designing marriage preparation courses and preparing
laity to take a greater role in family catechesis for
promoting healthy families and vibrant Domestic
Churches.
Through the Commission for women
Instilling in women the importance of the role they play in the
family, Community, Parish Community and the society at large
keeping Mary our mother as their model.
The mission of the commission for women is to enhance
sustainable and integrated development of women through
awareness, organization and resource mobilization.
Take up social issues like eradication of alcohol, domestic
violence, etc.

SCC AS A PASTORAL PRIORITY

CBCI & CCBI Documents: Since 1990
"In the process we saw that the building of SCCs,
flowing from our celebration of the Eucharist as
pastorally desirable. The model for the Church is
"a communion of communities".
In all our dioceses a serious effort must be made
to form and foster SCCs because it is through
these that the role of the Church to be a leaven in
society can be effectively realized at the local level
( 1998. Varanasi . No3. and 6.12)

SCC AS A PASTORAL PRIORITY

Yesu Khrist Jayanti Assembly 2000.
(800 delegates and all bishops of India.)

We recommend very strongly that the basic

structure of the Church in India is to be a
communion of communities and SCC must be
formed in every parish.
Parish councilors are best chosen from among
the animators of small communities.

SCCs has become a pastoral priority of

almost all dioceses in India

What are SCCs?

Some of the significant theological

interpretations of SCCs are:

What are SCCs ?

SCCs are Concrete Expressions of Church

SCCs are a source of new hope for the
Church
SCCs are instruments of evangelization and
good centres of formation
SCCs are sources for new ministries
SCCs are the local incarnation of the ONE,
HOLY, CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC CHURCH

 SCCs are self-ministering, self sustaining,

self propagating local churches.
SCCs are a communion of domestic churches

SCCs are a New Way Of Being Church

SCCs are Eucharistic communities
SCCs integrate faith and culture so that SCCs
life becomes the culture of the people.
SCCs are called to be on the side of the poor
and marginalized and be prophetic
communities.

Communion of Communities built on the Word of God and the

Eucharist leading to a life in abundance in the multifarious
context of India

Empowerment of laity in
the fields of
socio-economic-political
and envoirmental
issues

1. Country has built more than 50000 SCCs

2. Most Bishops have made SCCs a pastoral priority.
3. Regional coordination councils have been initiated by
National Service Team for SCCs . Bishops, priest, lay people
work together.
4. Huge amount of resource material/ literature is being
developed in major centres
5. A lot of Training and Awareness Programmes for priest and
religious has been conducted with effect.
6. Some dioceses have volunteers who work full time and part
time. (without remuneration)
7. People have developed a taste for the Word of God.
8. In many parishes the members of SCCs have enthroned the
Bible in their homes.

9. In many parishes more emphasis is given to reading and

reflection on the Word of God in the homes.
10.SCC has become a means for the illiterate to listen to the
Word of God and a platform to share their God experience.
11.People have become more aware of their role and
responsibilities as Christians.
12.Increased cooperation between families and a willingness to
reach out to those in need.
13. Peoples faith and sense of belonging to the Church has
increased.
14.Involvement of youth has increased.
15.Active participation in sacraments.
16.Emerging leadership has resulted due to SCCs.
17.Unity increased among neighbourhood families.

18. Social transformation through SCCs during natural

or human disaster.
19. Better relationship with people of other faiths,
20. Decrease in number of alcoholics,
21. Cleanliness and other environmental issues ,
22. Reconciliation in the neighbourhood,
23. Christmas Celebration with people of other faiths,
24. In some cases Hindu families have asked SCCs to
conduct Gospel Sharing in their homes
25. SCCs generate funds and use available resources to help
people affected by natural disasters.

Some of the difficulties faced

1. Many diocese have yet to initiate the formation of SCCs .
Its still not their pastoral priority, some show no interest
and other have no coordinator for SCCs.
2. The Parish Priests lack motivation and conviction.
3. No proper organizational structures in many parishes and
dioceses
4. There is need to empower Parish Pastoral Councils to
make SCCs a parish priority
5. Motivating men and youth for increased participation
6. Formation of SCC units in substations and villages in
many dioceses.
7. Awareness of the SCC vision mission statement to all
priest and religious

8.

SCC still in the initial stage in many areas.

9.

To identify and pool together resource persons, having a

network with other commissions.

10. Very few workshops on SCCs are organized.

11. Lack of local resource material especially in regional
languages
12. Social awareness in people about their rights
13. Continuity of SCC project is hampered when affected by
sudden transfers
14. In many cases the laity are highly dependant on the
clergy for everything
15. Sustaining the spirit of SCCs is challenging
16. Divisions like Caste, political parties etc hurting SCCs.

SCC Gospel Sharing

Neighbourhood Groups

Neighbourhood Groups
with people of other Religions.
(Small Human Communities)

SCC helps during Flood Relief

SCC Evangelizes
the Drunkards

Gambling Group

Join - Gospel Sharing

Join - SCC Celebrations

Awareness & Action in SCCs on Environmental Issues

SCC Rallies

Diocesan/Parish
SCC Days

SCC Trainings for different groups

Children's SCC Camp

Future plans
for the laity of India
Proposed school of evangelization for
laity
Greater emphasis on the formation of
laity through SCCs
Implementation of National Vision and
mission statement for SCCs

THANK YOU