Irish-British Province

GUWAHATI/INDIA
Anthropological Perspective in the new Region

As part of the preparation for the inauguration of the new Region (India Guwahati – ING) a seminar on “An anthropological perspective to SVD/ SSpS mission in the North East” was organized at Guwahati from October 27-30, 2005.

Twenty-four confreres and four SSpS Sisters took part in the seminar. Fr. Augustine KANJAMALA and Fr. Maria S. MICHAEL from the Institute of Indian Culture, Mumbai, helped in planning and conducting the seminar.

Archbishop Thomas Menamparambil of Guwahati and Salesian missionary, Fr. Joseph Puthenpurackal were the other resource persons for the seminar.

There are over 400 tribes in the new Region each with its own distinct culture. The confreres in the new mission are well aware of the importance of an anthropological thrust to the mission there. Programmes for a deeper study of the cultures, integration of the local art forms in liturgy and translation of the Bible into local languages were among the plans envisaged for the future.

The new region is to be inaugurated on January 29, 2006 by Superior General Fr. Antonio PERNIA. Fr. Cyprian PINTO, a pioneer missionary in Tripura is nominated the first superior. Former Generalate Secretary of Formation, Fr. Kurian Thazhathuveettil was designated to prepare the ground to establish the new region, comprising of the erstwhile Tripura District of INE and Arunachal District of INC.

There are 25 confreres in the new region.

Source: Arnoldus Nota