Gulbarga, July 31, 2025 — Around 50 diocesan and religious clergy of the Diocese of Gulbarga gathered at Sugyan, the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Kotnoor, for a day of reflection and planning on the Final Document on Synodality and its Implementation Pathways. The resource person for the day was Rev. Fr Praveen Joy Saldanha, Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Jeppu, Mangalore.
Fr Vincent Thoras, introducing the session, warmly welcomed Fr Praveen as his own seminary batchmate, highlighting his deep theological insights and simplicity in approach.
In his introductory remarks, Most Rev. Dr. Robert Miranda, Bishop of Gulbarga, stressed the importance of ongoing formation for priests, encouraging clergy to make use of online theological and pastoral courses to remain updated and effective in their mission. He emphasized that formation does not end with ordination but must be a continuous process throughout priestly life.
Fr Praveen, in his lucid and engaging talk, offered key insights from the Final Synod Document, underlining the Church’s call to implement the document’s authoritative proposals through processes of discernment and decision-making, adapted to each local context.
Quoting the principle of being “Glocal” (Global + Local), he explained that each country and region is encouraged to find contextually appropriate solutions rooted in its own culture, traditions, and local needs.
He also drew attention to the message of Pope Leo XIV, who in his first Apostolic Blessing on May 8, 2025, called the Church to be “missionary, bridge-building, dialogical, and welcoming” — values essential for synodal living.
Following the talk, the participants were divided into small groups for focused discussions on practical pathways for implementing the synodal vision in the Diocese of Gulbarga. Each group secretary presented a summary of the reflections and proposals.
In the final session, Fr Roshan D’Souza, Director of Premavani Communications, introduced the Catholic Connect App, a new initiative to digitally network parishes and Catholic institutions across India. User IDs were distributed to parish priests and commission directors, enabling them to upload parish events and news to better connect the faithful.
The gathering concluded with a note of gratitude for the enriching experience and a shared commitment to continue walking the synodal path together as one pilgrim Church.
