SHILLONG, Sept 11-12: A two-day National Seminar on the theme “The Laity: Partners in the Church’s Mission” was held at Sacred Heart Theological College (SHTC), Mawlai, Shillong, on September 11-12. Organised jointly by SHTC and the Oriens Theological Institute, the Seminar brought together nearly 350 participants, including members of the clergy, religious, theologians, seminarians and lay leaders from across India.
Rev. Fr. Sunil Barla SDB, Rector of SHTC, led the inaugural prayer and Rev. Fr. Dr. George Maliekal SDB, the Seminar Coordinator, welcomed the participants and outlined dynamics of the Seminar. The Chief Guest, Rev. Fr. Dr. Robinson Teron, and the keynote speaker, Dr. Vincent T. Darlong, former Vice-Chancellor of Martin Luther Christian University, were felicitated during the programme. Addressing the gathering, Fr. Robinson stressed the need to recognise the role of the laity and form them as authentic and co-responsible partners in the mission of the Church.
In his keynote address, “Laity – Partners in the Church’s Mission: From Participation to Co-Responsibility in the Context of the Church in Northeast India,” Dr. Darlong called for greater co-responsibility of the laity in the Church’s mission. He highlighted the significant role played by catechists, women and youth in sustaining the Church in the remote regions of Northeast India, while calling for greater formation, trust and collaboration to overcome clericalism.
The first two sessions explored the role of the laity from biblical, doctrinal, ecclesial and historical perspectives. The resource persons included Bros. Benjamin Ezung, Raplang Suphai and Sumit Kujur from Oriens Theological Institute, and Bros. Hubert T. Lyngdoh and Moses K. Mosohrii from SHTC. Later in the afternoon Rev. Fr. Dr. Arul Kumar Sebastian SDB presented “the Rights and Responsibilities of the Laity in the Church: As envisaged in the Code of Canon Law and in the Reform of the Roman Curia,” The first day ended with a case study: “The Contribution of the Laity in the Planting and Growth of the Church in Arunachal Pradesh,” Miss Jeremai Krong of Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh, based on her own powerful personal witness, described how the Church in Arunachal Pradesh developed, in many ways, as a “Church of the laity,” particularly during periods when priests and missionaries were prevented from entering the region and Christians were persecuted.
On the second day, the topics focused on the Third Orders, the Salesian Cooperators, Groups and Associations, and various forms of lay apostolate and synodal structures. Mrs Naomi Lyngdoh and Mr Bederius Shylla dealt with the themes.
The National Seminar concluded with a comprehensive summing-up and prompting few lines of action by senior professor Rev. Fr. Dr. Edmund Gomes SDB. A vote of thanks was proposed by SHTC student Sr. Ribha Suja FMA, and Rev. Fr. Dr. Jose Palakeel MST led the final prayer and blessing. The highlight of the Seminar was the collective affirmation that the Church belongs not to the clergy and a few chosen ones only, but every baptized person has a genuine vocation and responsibility within the mission of the Church.
Reported by Fr. Sunil Barla sdb
