The Church in India

A Christian family in the Howrah District of West Bengal alleges they faced three consecutive days of violent attacks and pressure to renounce their faith.

Putul Manna and her husband, Kanchan Manna, filed a complaint stating that they have frequently hosted prayer meetings at their home. The couple claims the assaults and coercion were intended to force them to abandon their religion.

Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, the Archbishop of Goa and Daman, sent a message of greetings to Hindu citizens celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi. He extended these wishes to the Hindu community across Goa.

The Cardinal noted that the festival traditionally symbolizes the removal of obstacles, the growth of wisdom, and respect for all, including nature. He stated that these values are vital for Goa, which possesses a blend of natural beauty and communal harmony.

The message encouraged people to collaborate in safeguarding human dignity, protecting the ecological heritage of the land, and nurturing harmony within local communities.

The Archdiocese of Goa e Damão held the Rev. Dr. Fr. Bolmax Pereira Memorial Lecture at St. Anne’s Church in Ponda on September 13, 2026. Organized as part of the 8th Centenary Celebration of the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi and the Season of Creation 2026, the event focused on the theme of faith, science, and action for the environment.

Climate scientist Dr. Roxy Mathew Koll delivered the main lecture, titled "Climate Change: Understanding the Challenge and What It Means for Goa." The program included an audiovisual tribute to Fr. Bolmax Pereira, who died in 2026, highlighting his ministry and ecological work. Fr. Anthony Carvalho, convener of the Diocesan Commission for Ecology, and Miguel Braganza, an executive member of the commission, spoke about the contributions Fr. Bolmax made to environmental awareness in Goa.

The event included a prayer for creation and a welcome from the parish priest of St. Anne’s, Fr. Francis Rozario. Attendees included parishioners, students, teachers, and environmentalists, as well as Dr. Ramesh Kumar, a former chief scientist at NIO Goa, along with scholars from Goa University.

The Diocesan Centre for Social Communications Media in Goa held media education sessions to teach teenagers and adults how to use social media safely and positively. Fr. Barry Cardozo, the director of the center, led the sessions at several parishes to help participants avoid cybercrime and social media addiction.

The sessions targeted different groups across the diocese. Fr. Andrew Mascarenhas hosted a session for youth at Bastora Parish on 12th July, while Fr. Isidorio Fernandes organized a session for Confirmation students at Majorda Parish on 9th August. At Corgao Parish, Fr. Clifford Castelinho held a session for adults following a Novena mass on 4th September. Fr. Tadeu D’Silva SFX invited the director to speak to the Canaguinim Parish on 16th September.

During these presentations, Fr. Cardozo explained how to use digital platforms responsibly and identified ways to reduce vulnerability to online threats. He also provided information on the safe use of artificial intelligence and discussed how to overcome various types of social media addiction.

The Archdiocese of Goa e Damão held the Rev. Fr. Dr. Bolmax Pereira Memorial Inter-School Ecology Quiz on September 10, 2026, at St. Anne’s Church Hall in Ponda. The event served as a tribute to the late Fr. Bolmax Pereira and coincided with the 8th Centenary Celebration of St. Francis of Assisi and the Season of Creation 2026.

Twenty-seven school teams from across Goa participated in the competition. Each team included two students from Class IX. The quiz, led by Quiz Master Dr. Kennedy D’Silva, tested students on topics such as biodiversity, water conservation, climate change, renewable energy, waste management, and sustainable living. Questions also covered Goa’s natural heritage.

The Archdiocese organized the quiz through the St. Anne’s Church Ponda 8th Centenary Committee, in collaboration with the Diocesan Commission for Ecology, the Archdiocesan Board of Education, and the Diocesan Society of Education. The program aimed to increase ecological awareness among young people and encourage environmental stewardship.

The Bangiya Christiya Pariseba, also known as the Bengal Christian Council, expressed grave concern on September 18, 2026, regarding increasing violence and systemic harassment against Christians in West Bengal.

The council reported that the Christian community faces rising levels of hostility across the state. According to the group, state authorities have not responded to repeated requests for official hearings or independent inquiries into allegations of baseless conversions.

The Diocese of Karwar held a formation program for 48 priests and religious sisters from the Haliyal and Sirsi deaneries on September 11, 2026. Held at Holy Rosary Church in Yellapur, the program focused on the spirituality and implementation of synodality.

Father Nathaniel Cruz led the first session on the spirituality of synodality. He described synodality as a spiritual way of being Church that requires walking together, listening, sharing experiences, and discerning under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He noted that this way of life calls all baptized people to communion, participation, and mission.

Father Richard Rodrigues, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Karwar, led the second session on how to implement synodal principles in pastoral life. He encouraged participants to use attentive listening, collaboration, and collective discernment within parishes, deaneries, and religious communities. The program included a group discussion where participants shared their reflections and experiences.

Auxiliary Bishop Simião Purificação Fernandes presented diploma certificates to 81 participants of a Bible course during a celebration at St. Francis Xavier Church in Duler on August 25, 2026. The course took place at the Duler parish from July 2024 to February 2025 and included students from the parishes of Duler, Mapusa, Cunchelim, and Tivim.

During the thanksgiving Mass, Bishop Fernandes encouraged the faithful to remain rooted in the Word of God and to apply its teachings to their daily lives. He stated that studying Scripture should result in a transformed life and fruitful Christian witness rather than being a strictly academic exercise.

The Mass was concelebrated by Fr. Caitan D’Souza, Fr. Onasis D’Cruz, Fr. Mariano D’Costa, Fr. Tomas Lobo, and Fr. Francis Fernandes. Following the liturgy, Mrs. Sandra Perpetua D’Mello shared a testimony about her experience in the course.

Emmaus Wellness Centre in Mapusa, Goa, will host an Inner Healing Program to offer emotional, mental, and spiritual restoration. The month-long program follows a curriculum titled Healing Minds, Healing Hearts, Living in God’s Freedom.

The program runs in two batches. The first batch takes place from October 5 to October 30, 2026, and the second batch runs from November 2 to November 27, 2026. The four-week structure covers the mind and healing, emotions and healing, facing shadows and healing, and psycho-spiritual integration.

Interested participants can contact the director, Father Praveen Dsouza, OCD, at 8007593531 for enrollment and inquiries.

The Diocese of Karwar held a formation program for 43 priests and religious on the spirituality and implementation of synodality on September 10, 2026. The event took place at the DPC Hall in Karwar for participants from the Kajubag and Kone deaneries.

The first session described synodality as a spiritual disposition and a way of life for all baptized people rather than a specific activity. It presented synodality as a method for the Church to walk together, listen to one another, and discern the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Richard Rodrigues led the second session, which focused on how to implement synodality within the diocese. He emphasized the necessity of consultation, participation, and discernment to take concrete steps toward synodal cooperation. Sr. Mable D’Cruz and Shaun Furtado attended the program after previously participating in a regional seminar for the synodal implementation team in Bengaluru.

Radio Club members at Salesian College (Autonomous) in Siliguri unveiled ECOTUNES to mark National Radio Day. The project, which converts electrical signals from living plants into musical patterns, is being submitted for the India Book of Records.

Anand Kumar, a psychology student and founder of the Radio Club, conceived the project.

Doctor Agimol Pradeep, a nurse born in Kerala and currently working in the United Kingdom, has received the world’s largest nursing award.

Pradeep serves as a senior transplant coordinator at King’s College Hospital in London. The award recognizes her contributions to organ donation, her work in community engagement, and her efforts to improve opportunities for nurses trained internationally.

Retired Salesian Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil of Guwahati presented Pope Leo XIV with two of his new books during a recent meeting at the Vatican.

The archbishop, who is approaching his 90th birthday on October 22, gave the pope the titles I Came To Set Fire Upon The Earth and Exaggeration Invites Exaggeration.

A high-level Christian delegation led by Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore met with All-India Congress Committee President Mallikarjun Kharge on September 14 to request urgent action on issues affecting the Christian community in Karnataka.

The delegation included bishops and senior leaders who met with Kharge to press for rights and representation for Christians in the state.

India has launched the Great Nicobar Project, which officials describe as a development plan to create a strategic gateway for the country's trade and security.

While the government presents the project as a way to provide necessary development, some observers warn that it could lead to an ecological disaster.