August 14, 2017: The annual meeting of the Coordinators of social work of the Congregation was held at Bethany Mother house, Mangaluru. It was organized by Sr Shanthi Priya, the General Coordinator of Social apostolate. The representatives of seven provinces, of the Delegation Abroad and Central Administration, about 52 of them, converged at Bethany Mother house, on 11th August 2017. The opening prayer focusing on the mission manifesto, of Jesus,- ‘to proclaim liberty to the captives’ drew inspiration for the days programme. At the very outset, Sr Shanthi Priya, highlighted the burning issues of our time which are also the priorities of the XVI General Chapter of the Congregation, i.e human trafficking the modern day servitude, and the issue of migration. Sr Rose Celine the Superior General, in her keynote address referring to the document of the Holy Father, Pope Francis ‘Misericordia et Misera’ gave a clarion call to guard ourselves against the sin of indifference and called on us to be in solidarity with the suffering of the trafficked and the migrants. Mrs Vidya Dinakar, the President of Citizens’ forum, Mangaluru, the resource person of the day, made us aware that we are like David facing the challenge of Hindutva and corporates which are like Goliath. She however instilled hope in us that with our religious resources of faith and commitment, coupled with the strategy of dialogue we can build bridges and fight against the injustices prevailing in the society. Thereafter the Province Coordinators presented the reports of the work done in their respective provinces in responding to these challenges. It was felt that networking and collaborating at various levels would go a long way in helping us to reach the desired goal. In conclusion, Sr Rose Celine emphasized the need of dialoguing with those who vibrate with us and those who do not vibrate with us in achieving our goal. The participants pledged to work with greater collaborative commitment for the liberation of those who are victims of modern day slavery.
Comments powered by CComment