More than 300 Religious men and women participated in the first Indian Mission Congress, which stressed life witness as the best form of Evangelization in India.

Some 1,500 delegates from India’s 160 dioceses participated in the Oct. 14-18 program christened “Prabhu Yesu Mahotsav” (Lord Jesus grand festival) at Mumbai.

“Religious from all over the country participated in this celebration of missionary Church, which has been the soul of religious life during the last four centuries,” said Brother Mani Mekkunnnel, secretary of Conference of Religious India.

Noting Religious Congregations led missionary endeavors in India since early 16 century when organized mission work began in the region, he said the Religious should regain the leadership roles.

The congress helped make “inspirational responses” such as “let our leadership promote unity in the diversity of cultures. Let our proclamation bring wholeness to the soul of India,” he said.

India, having some 125,000 Religious, “has all the more reason to celebrate and look ahead to a dream future” of “contributing to an enlightened India and building a community of joy and peace.”

The Mountfort Brother said the congress encouraged an “inclusive evangelical proclamation” which affirms that “Christ is for all and the Gospel is good news to everyone.” The hostile and apologetic approach to proclamation has no place in the present day society, he said.

With the mission congress we “can expect a paradigm shift in proclaiming Christ in a multi-religious and multicultural society.”

The new way of proclamation would not “categorize, reject or label people using any tags of religion, community, caste gender or age but will see all human beings thrusting for Good News of liberation,” he said.

“The Religious who pioneered the mission adventures in the past has the inner dynamism to find the alternatives in modern world, with all their implications,” he said.

Source: UCAN

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