Liturgical renewal initiatives rolled out across parishes and ecclesiastical districts

Circular details confession drives, home visits, liturgical training and online study initiatives as Syro Malankara Church prepares for centenary celebration of the Reunion from September 2025 to 2026.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Kerala (Indian Catholic News)— Outlining practical parish and ecclesial district programmes in preparation for the centenary celebration of the Reunion, the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church has reinforced its commitment to the Year of the Liturgy, calling clergy and faithful to active participation.

In an explanatory note dated Nov. 18, 2025, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, said: “In preparation for the centenary celebration of the Reunion we are observing the year of the Liturgy from 20 September 2025 to 19 September 2026.”

He drew attention to “the details of the parish level and ecclesial district level programs in the circular sent on 10.09.2025” and said a booklet containing “the study guide and Action Plan containing topics have been published.”

“These books will be given to priests in the priestly orientation programs conducted in each Eparchy,” the circular states, adding that “training for priests, sisters and Laity from 60 Ecclesial districts has already been completed.”

“All priestley brothers should take up these programs and take the lead in making them effective and in nurturing our Liturgical Tradition,” it said.

The Church’s reunion anniversary refers to the historic reunion of Archbishop Mar Ivanios and other leaders of the Malankara tradition with the Catholic Church on 20 September 1930, an event marking their entry into full communion with Rome after centuries of separation.

Parish level focus on confession and formation

Among the parish-level activities, the circular mandates that “In all the parishes an awareness class on Holy Confession is organized on one Sunday of the liturgical year … followed by a general preparation for service, a penitential service, followed by confession and Holy Communion.”

To ensure cooperation, it says, “the date for the confession in each parish should be fixed in advance in the district (regional) level. Before this, a home visit should be completed in the parish.”

Under the heading “Home Visit”, the circular instructs that “all the families in the parish should be visited and be given awareness about the Liturgical Year.”

“For this, a team consisting of a sister and two members from Suvisesha Sangam should visit each house and provide awareness,” it states, noting that depending on parish size, “number of teams can be arranged.”

During visits, the team “should take all the efforts to convince them of the need of observances of family prayer, Bible reading, active participation in the sacraments, fasting and abstinence.”

The district vicar and the director of the Year of Liturgy “should convene a meeting of the sisters and the members of the Suvisesha Sangam in each ecclesial district to discuss these matters and arrange for home visit in each parish.” Suvisesha Sangam or Gospel Association functions as a missionary-oriented lay movement within the Church’s structure, helping bring Gospel-centred spirituality into homes and local communities.

Additional parish initiatives include placing “the Holy Cross, adored with urara, … at the middle of seven candles” which “should be lit on Sundays,” and holding “a one hour class on the Holy Eucharist … before the Holy Eucharist on a Sunday followed by Holy Communion.”

Each parish is also directed to hold “one Sunday a Year, a public Baptism” and “one Sunday a year a public celebration of Anointing of the sick.”

Training, media outreach and district coordination

The circular calls for “Training on the liturgical matters … at the parish level for the members of the organizations, MCYM (Malankara Catholic Youth Movement) MCA (Malankara Catholic Association), MCMF (Malankara Catholic Mothers’ Forum) and MCCL (Malankara Catholic Children’s League) specially and the parish community in general,” and says “Evening prayer should be celebrated with the faithful on Saturday evening in all parishes.”

It further instructs that Bible conventions during Lent and parish feasts “should ensure the proclamation of Gospel centered on the Liturgical Year and the Sacraments.”

A major media initiative is also planned. “A 50 episode liturgical study series will be broadcasted on Malankara Catholic TV,” the circular states. “The faithful in the parish should be instructed to involve maximum number of individuals from each parish in this online study programme.”

It adds that “Based on the episodes exams will be conducted (three exams) in parishes and certificates will be awarded,” and that participant details “should be informed to the Director of Liturgy of the ecclesial district.”

In addition, “Syriac language studies will be conducted online through Malankara Catholic TV from December 2025. Faithful members of the Church should be encouraged to participate in this programme.”

At the ecclesial district level, “Special attention should be paid to send representatives from the parish to the public events held at the district level in connection with the year of liturgy.”

District centres are to “Provide training on liturgical matters … to the executive members of MCYM, MCA, MCMF, and MCCL,” as well as altar boys and those who have received first communion within the past three years.

The circular concludes with a call to unity and renewal: “I pray that all the faithful in our Church will be able to further activate the worship of God and grow in the experience of God through the celebration of the Year of Liturgy.”

“In this regard, the reverend priests, the religious and the faithful of the Church should work in union,” it says, adding in a note that “The relevant matters in this should be communicated to the faithful.”