COMMISSION FOR LAITY

Secretary: Fr Anil Joel Prasad Aland

Joint Secretary: Fr Melwin Mendonca SJ Gulbarga

Core Group: Mr Srinivas Bendre Bhalki, Mr Arjun Kanak Basavakalya, Mr Rayappa Reddy Gulbarga, Fr Sunil Andrade Ujini, Sr Precilla Furtado B.S Jalasangvi, Sr Jayashree BS Gulbarga.

Introduction

The Laity Commission of Gulbarga diocese looks after the ongoing formation and animation of the lay faithful so that the laity can truly exercise their apostolate in accordance to their state of life. (Can. 208).

Over the last 15 years of its existence the Commission has been striving in forming the laity through various programmes at the diocesan, deanery, zonal and parish level to make the Church in Karnataka a Participatory, Christ-centred, and truly Evangelizing Community. The vision of the Second Vatican for the Laity still remains only a dream

In the light of the new Pastoral Plan the Laity Commissions re-examined its focus and reformulated the vision & mission as spelt below. The diocese always emphasising and committing itself to builf a participatory church, with over 90% of its Christian population living in poverty and illiteracy, needs lay people who are trained and committed to build a Christ – centered community. It needs good leaders to work for the uplift of the people. The Laity Commission is committed towards transforming the laity to get involved in the Church and society with greater commitment.

VISION: Empowered Laity as a community of living witnesses to Christ.

MISSION: Establishment of a Christ-centered community based on love, justice and equality through empowerment of its members.

GOALS

1. Enlightened, committed and united laity by 2024.
2. Laity Formation towards value-based leadership.

GOAL 1: Enlightened, committed and united laity by 2024.

Objectives 1

By the end of 2024, the Parish Participatory Structures are rejuvenated in the light of ‘Pastoral Conversion of the Parish’ and ‘FratelliTutti’.

Indicators

1. Active PPCs and PFCs in all the parishes of the Diocese.
2. Active DPC and DFC in the diocese.

Strategies

1. Constitute PPCs & PFCs at parish level and the DPCs & DFCs at the diocesan level.
2. Organize training and awareness programmes for the laity on consultative structures at the parish, deanery and diocesan levels.
3. Motivate the laity to get actively involved in various participatory structures.
4. Organising socio-pastoral cum spiritual programmes for the leaders.

Objective 2: By 2024, the diocese has value based leaders in the civic and local self-governments and play an active role in the society.

Indicators

1. Many Catholics are active members in the local civic bodies.
2. Every parish has lay leaders who actively participate in Ward Sabha and Gram Sabha meetings

Strategies

1. Organize awareness programmes for the laity on local self-governance and various participatory structures society.
2. Conscientize and motivate lay faithful on their roles and responsibilities in these structures and their importance for the development.
3. At least 25% of our lay people join Ward Sabha, Gram Sabha,
4. Encourage and promote grass root level leaders for local civic bodies.
5. Create the awareness of voting right and to value of voting.
6. Conscientize the laity towards having valid voters ID
7. Inform the laity on good Governance and latest development and roles and responsibilities of Ward Sabha, Gram Sabha.

Objective 3: At least two members from each deanery will participate in the regional level training for the Laity every year.

Indicators

1. Lay people have sound knowledge of Theology, Catechism of the Church, Second Vatican Council Documents, etc.
2. Lay people benefit from the knowledge and utilize it in our Diocese.

Strategies

1. Organising laity convention at the deanery and zonal level
2. Enrol at least 2 or 3 lay persons from each deanery for one of the courses said above.

Objective 4: By 2024, the Catholic laity will form Catholic Associations / Catholic Sabhas at deanery level at Bidar, Bhalki, Gulbarga, Vijayapur and work towards protecting the rights of the people and obtain the govt. benefits to the community.

Indicators

1. Catholic Associations are formed in three deaneries.
2. Catholics enjoy the benefit of the minority grants and welfare schemes of the government.

Strategies

1. Lay Faithful are motivated to join Catholic Associations / Catholic Sabhas ecclesiastically approved.
2. Enrolled members of Catholic Associations are motivated towards obtaining government sponsored minority grants and welfare schemes for the benefit of the Catholic community.
3. Conscientise lay faithful about the various government schemes available for Catholics and utilize them for the benefit of the poor and the downtrodden.

Objective 5: At the Diocesan Level, the Catholic Professionals like Public Servants, Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers, Nurses etc. are organized into Guilds by 2024.

Indicators: A well-organized laity based on their profession

Strategies

1. Make a baseline survey and maintain a database of all professionals at the Diocesan level and update the same in the Diocesan website on a regular basis.
2. Organize workshops, seminars, symposiums, for professionals.
3. Various professionals are active members of professional organizations.
4. To constitute a THINK TANK.