Nagpur Archdiocese Holds Retreat on CCBI’s Plenary Document: “Pilgrims of Hope”

Nagpur, 14 April 2025: The Archdiocese of Nagpur organized a special retreat for priests and religious on Monday 14 April 2025, ahead of the Chrism Mass. The retreat focused on the final document of the 36th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), titled “Pilgrims of Hope: Discerning the Synodal Path.”

More than 200 participants, including priests and religious sisters, took part in the retreat held at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, Nagpur. The sessions were led by Fr. Paul Chandrankunnel, SAC.

“We are trying our best to implement the CCBI Pastoral Plan and the proposals from the final document of the 36th Plenary Assembly. Both offer a clear roadmap to transform our archdiocese into a synodal Church. Our priests and religious are welcoming these new initiatives with open hearts,” said Archbishop Elias Gonsalves of Nagpur.

The CCBI released “Pilgrims of Hope: Discerning the Synodal Path” on 19 March 2025. The printed edition will be launched by Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão on 23 April 2025 at Shanti Sadan, Benaulim, Goa.

This document is the fruit of deep consultation across the Church in India. Lay faithful, clergy, religious, and bishops contributed through a process that included a preparatory phase, a working document, and spiritual discernment during the Plenary Assembly held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from 28 January to 4 February 2025.

The document outlines sixteen key themes for reflection and action. These include: faith formation, children, family, youth, laity, basic ecclesial communities, migrants, refugees, socially excluded groups, Dalits, tribals, women, gender justice, poverty, climate care, digital technology, social media, and peacebuilding. 

It aligns closely with the CCBI’s Pastoral Plan: Journeying Towards a Synodal Church – Mission 2033. Together, they call for a Church that is more inclusive, participatory, and focused on mission.

The document also promotes shared baptismal responsibility, lay leadership, and collaborative governance. It invites the Church to draw from India’s rich cultural and spiritual traditions, especially during this Jubilee Year.

As the Church in India walks forward, the CCBI calls on all faithful to become true “pilgrims of hope,” guided by the Holy Spirit on the path of synodality.

By Gangula Vignan Das