The history and current situation of India's Roman Catholic Church as a rapidly growing missionary church with a long history.
Materials
Program One: A Missionary Church
Mission Today (the magazine published by the Propagation of the Faith/English Canadian Branch. Online version.
Fact Sheet on Propagation of the Faith. Online.
Fact Sheet on how students can help the work of Propagation of the Faith. Online
Internet access for additional research questions
Study Guide
Goal
The goal of Program One is to introduce students to the presence of the
Catholic Church in India through interviews with Bangalore Archbishop
Bernard Moras, Msgr. Ignaci Siluvai, National Director of Pontifical Mission Societies, India plus a variety of local clergy and parishioners. To better understand the missionary nature of the Church in India and how, today, India is beginning to supply missionaries to the rest of the Roman Catholic world.
Steps
1. Show the internet TV DVD Program One: A Missionary Church
2. Ask students to form small groups to describe the following:
What does the Indian Church look and sound like? Why would
you like to visit?
What have we learned about the Catholic Church in India?
What other faith groups co-exist in India? Describe the Catholic Church's
minority status.
How does the Catholic Church try to serve Indian people of
all religions.
Give three reasons why Canadian Catholics should support the
work of the Church in India.
3. Option for Take-Home Assignment
1. Via the Internet find more facts about:
The Church in India and what it is like to be a minority
religion in that country.
Describe the different faiths that co-exist in India
Find out how Canadian Catholics support the work of the
Church in India
Describe how students can help Propagation of the Faith
support Catholics and their work in India
Locate Archbishop Moras' Archdiocese on a map of India
2. In groups, make presentations to the class about any or all of the above.
