The Meeting of the Catechetical Commission of the Telugu Catholic Bishops’ Conference (TCBC) for the Telugu Region was held at the Pastoral Centre, Vijayawada on 14 February 2018. The Right Reverend Gallela Prasad, Bishop of Kadapa and Chairman of the Catechetical Commission, in his address to the Directors of Pastoral Centres of the Telugu region highlighted the need to impart profound catechetical instruction to the children from Standards I to X in all schools and parishes. He made it mandatory for the Directors to use the new Catechism series in their respective dioceses. He expressed satisfaction towards and thanked ST PAULS, Mumbai, especially Father David Pushpa Raj SSP, for taking up the diocese’s unattended challenge (for 9 years) to bring out a Catechism and Moral Science series of an international standard, both in English and in Telugu. Father Saji Antony, Director, Jeevandhara Publications, and Father David Pushpa Raj, Coordinator of the Catechism series, were present for the meeting. Bishop Prasad released the Catechism series and gave its first copies to Father Dumingo, General Secretary, National Catechetical Commission (CBCI) and to Father Prasad, Secretary, Catechetical Commission of TCBC.
Father David in his address thanked Bishop Prasad and TCBC for giving ST PAULS an opportunity to partner in the mission of TCBC and for the trust the Commission had reposed in ST PAULS.
After the launch, Father Dumingo expressed his personal appreciation and satisfaction for the efforts ST PAULS has put in for the Catechism series. He cordially invited ST PAULS to be part of the Catechetical Executive Body of India, in order to help in its Catechetical work.
All pastoral centre Directors too highly appreciated the final outcome of the project and have promised to send their respective orders for the books at the earliest. The meeting concluded with a luncheon celebrating the completion of the project. Post lunch some of the Directors visited our local formation community at Enikepadu for High Tea!
We sincerely appreciate the effort put in by Father David Pushpa Raj who coordinated the work together with Fathers Joby Mathew and Joseph T.C.