One of the 14^th Regional Workshops on Catholic Social Teaching and Caritas India Strategic Plan was solemnly organized on 29 and 30 August 2019 with SIGN -Jharkhand forum convening the programme in Ranchi, for two days where Fr. (Dr.) Jolly Puthenpura, Assistant Executive Director of Caritas India and Ms Shimray, Manager – Capacity Building & Strategic Plan Implementation were the resource persons, who facilitated the sessions participatorily to the utmost satisfaction of Eighty-Eight(88)  diverse participants from different walks of life representing Eight dioceses.

Fr Bipin Pani, the new Regional Forum Director welcomed His Eminence Rev Bishop Felix Toppo and Fr Jolly Puthenura on behalf of all the people of the JAAN Region and expressed his solidarity for the larger human society to which Caritas India is committed in sharing the Gospel truth the Love of Christ in action. He also welcomed All the Priests, Nuns, Religious and lay participants from dioceses and Caritas India staffs

The inaugural session was honoured with presence of His Eminence the Arch Bishop of Ranchi Rev Felix Toppo S.J. In his inaugural address he rightly reiterated that the new SIGN Director and active person in the service of the regional had partnered with Caritas India for this beautiful initiative to create a larger awareness and conscientization of the leaders who will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our communities in this difficult time.

As Christians we are called to be people of god to uphold the values of love, justice and peace, and this is a vocation for sacrifice for others, caring for others in the attempt for global citizenship. Most importantly from caring of the weaker sections such as the homeless to the care of the environment, form how we shop and consume to the rights of the workers and the dignity of work.

On speaking about the principles of four key pillars his eminence stated that the are not new to us in Jharkhand as development philosophy and theory of change of Caritas India. However, the logical connections between the theory of change and strategic pillars will be to deepen our understanding and the same be transferred and replicated for the community with whom we work and for them we are concerned.

Fr Jolly facilitated the session during the day one on CST with historical in-depth of Caritas India evolution and intervention in the development sector and how it adds value to the existing as well as on going Church’s mission to the people in building peace, Justice and eradicating poverty and hunger and other miseries of human suffering as much as it can. He appreciated the Forum and its dioceses that their solidarity with Caritas India effort to intervene in flood prone areas of Kerala a year before has been an example of solidarity one of the CST principles.

Fr Jolly with his amicable persona and participatory approach to the interaction between the participants clarified and explained in the simplest of manner and with examples that were very close to the understanding of the common people. The participants appreciate a lot as for many it had been a new experience to have encountered CST learnings.

Four Key Strategic Pillars were dealt by Ms Shimray on the second day for which the introductory session was already shared with  the participants by Alexander who provided and contextual framework for the need for new approach and how Caritas India has innovatively initiated this mission to empower its diocesan partners so that ultimately the people In margins are empowered and see the light of development, Peace and Social Justice.

The participation in all the group works were highly appreciable as participants were highly motivated to learn and share the context specific ideas and solutions that could be part of their strategy to strengthen the community. There was very positive feeling of having learned and experienced the power of the strategic plan that could work for the betterment of the society and with this motivation the workshop was concluded thanking all the participants for their enthusiasm and promise for the future transformational work.