The once-in-three-year meeting of some 400 Major Superiors of women congregations working across India will take place early next year to discuss challenges their members face.

The meeting, scheduled for Jan 8- 12, 2011, will gather heads of national and international congregations working in India. They are expected to discuss the work of their members in the changing socio-political scenario.

The meeting would aim at making members “understand the challenges they face, and enable them to meet those challenges,” she Sister Prasanna Thattil, president of the CRI women’s section.

Sister Thattil said detailed topics of discussion are yet to be finalized. “We are meeting in September to finalize everything,” she said.

However, leaders said the spread of fanatic movements have offered new challenges to the work of Religious. For example, they said, Kerala was hitherto untouched by Islamic terrorism. But recent events have changed that atmosphere.

Suspected Islamic radicals have chopped off the hand of a Catholic professor in Kerala after he allegedly made derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad in a question paper.

Fast spreading religious fanaticism, politicization of religion and violent social movements such as Maoism throw up new challenges to women Religious even in relatively peaceful areas of India, the leader said.

The women Religious should be able “to fight as a religious group and combat the challenges of the times within and outside,” Sister Flora Lakra, an Executive member of the CRI women section, said.

“I would contribute in the discussions and the deliberations during the meeting. The emphasis would be on the revival of the religious spirit among the women religious,” she said.

Sister Thattil said that the “major superiors will have to take the meeting seriously so that they can take the inputs and conclusions of the assembly to the members of their congregations.”

Source: Report by Ritu Sharma

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