“The interventions of Caritas India are the expressions of the true compassion of Catholic Church for the poor and the marginalized of the community. One of the foundational missions of Caritas India is Diakonia, which is the Gospel in action or the actions that unfold the love of God”, Fr. Paul Moonjely, Executive Director of Caritas India said this while addressing the Bishops and Diocesan Directors of Social Apostolate (DDSAs) of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa in Mumbai.

Fr. Paul, while deliberating on the faith foundations of Caritas India interventions said that the initiatives of Catholic Church are intended to propagate the Christian view of humankind which says that all human beings are created in God’s image for fellowship with one another. This approach encourages people to believe that each one has been given to one another and everyone is dependent on all living beings. The meeting of the bishops and diocesan directors of the social apostolate of the western region was on the margins of the annual general body meeting of Western Region Social Service Forum (WRSSF), Mumbai.

Fr. Paul reiterated the commitment of Caritas India to spread the social ministry of Catholic Church in India and said that Caritas India would work earnestly to respond positively to the call of Church to love and serve. He highlighted the notable successes of the cluster programmes of Caritas India in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and said that these programmes have fostered sustainable grassroots-level movements of marginalized communities. Caritas India is playing an empowering role within communities to bring people together and enable them to work in solidarity on their challenges, Fr. Paul said. He lauded the cooperation and commitment of diocesan social service societies and the support that they had extended to Caritas India for translating the mission of Church into tangible results within communities.

Archbishop Felix Machado of Vasai appreciated Caritas India for supporting the partners of the region with programme and organisation development support.

“The contribution of Caritas India to the region is significant because it has helped local partners to become more relevant. The enabling role that Caritas India has played has had a positive impact on both organisations and communities of Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat”, Archbishop Machado said.

He also congratulated Fr. Paul Moonjely on his elevation as the executive director.

Earlier Saju MK, Zone Manager – West, presented a brief profile of Caritas India and the impacts of Caritas India-supported programmes in the west zone. He highlighted partners’ strides in gaining thematic expertise in the areas of sustainable agriculture, good governance and tribal identity. During the meeting partners and Caritas India reviewed the progress of the organisation development initiatives and the result achievement of cluster programmes of Maharashtra. Fr. Paul informed the gathering that Caritas India would soon launch a cluster programme in Gujarat to respond to food and nutrition insecurity prevailing in some parts of Gujarat.