The Vianney Deanery of Diocese of Shimoga, organised training programme of Basic Ecclesial Communities on Wednesday, 6th of March, 2024 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Parish House, Thirthahalli. There were 22 participants for the training programme including 10 priests, 9 religious sisters, 1 deacon and two lay deanery team members. The Seminar commenced at 10 am with a short prayer and enthronement of the Holy Bible by Rev Fr. Ronald Veigas, the Dean. Mr Francis the deanery BECs Team member welcomed the gathering and the resource person Fr. George Vincent Lobo, the Diocesan Director for BECs.
There were two sessions. The resource person explained the role of BECs in making the Parish community vibrant, faith filled, participatory and witnessing. He also explained to the participants how BECs can influence every sphere of Christian life in particular and society in general. He advised the participants to implement ministries of various services at the BECs level to make them effective. He gave the example of early Christian Communities, who lacked nothing due to various ministries done by them and supported each other in building the community. During the final question answer session, Fr. George Lobo responded to the queries and taught the simple practical way of implementing them in our own parishes.
He invited them to promote and strengthen BECs in their respective Parishes and Mission centres. The meeting ended with a thanksgiving prayer and closing of the Bible at 1 pm by Rev Fr. Ronald Veigas. Mr Francis, the deanery team member, proposed the Vote of Thanks. The BCE Team and all the members were grateful to Fr. Stephen Albuquerque, the Deanery Director for BECs, along with his deanery team for having made all the arrangements for the smooth conduct of the Training Programme.
