Bidar, June 21, 2025 – The Diocese of Bidar has successfully completed an extensive series of zonal planning meetings held from June 17-19, 2025, bringing together priests, religious, and lay leaders from across the diocese to develop concrete action plans aligned with the Diocesan Pastoral Plan (DPP) 2030.
Under the leadership of Bishop Robert Miranda and with the active participation of Fr. Santhosh Bapu, Vicar General of the Diocese, these meetings created a vibrant platform for mission-oriented pastoral planning in the synodal spirit. Fr. Bapu emphasized the importance of local implementation, stating, “Each center must now work with their parish councils to develop customized plans that bring the DPP to life in their specific contexts.”
The meetings began on June 17 with simultaneous sessions in Bhalki and Basavakalyan zones. In Bhalki, over 60 participants from Bhalki and Halbaraga centers focused on creating practical solutions for rural challenges, including establishing a migration response task force. Meanwhile, Basavakalyan zone representatives in Kaudiyal planned innovative outreach strategies, including mobile evangelization teams for remote villages.
On June 18, the Bidar zone meeting at St. Joseph’s Church saw the formation of an inter-parish youth ministry framework, while the Aurad zone gathering in Santpur developed plans to strengthen Basic Ecclesial Communities across four mission centers.
The series concluded on June 19 with the Humnabad zone meeting, which brought together representatives from Itga, Jalasangi, Talmadgi, and Humnabad centers. Bishop Miranda animated the discussions, while Fr. Bapu provided concrete guidance on translating the DPP into actionable center-specific plans. “The parish council members in each location must now take ownership of this planning process,” Fr. Bapu urged participants.
Each meeting followed a participatory model, combining prayerful discernment with practical planning. The diocese has established a timeline for finalizing all center-specific plans by July 31, with quarterly review mechanisms to ensure effective implementation.
Bishop Miranda emphasized the transformative potential of this process: “We are not just making plans on paper, but awakening the missionary vocation of every baptized member in our diocese.” The diocese will provide necessary resources and training to support the implementation of these grassroots initiatives.
