Children urged to become witnesses of hope through service and faith

Kottayam archdiocese’s circular for Holy Childhood Day calls families and parishes to nurture children as witnesses to Christ through compassion, prayer and missionary spirit amid rising individualism.

KOTTAYAM, Kerala (Indian Catholic News) — A Syro Malabar Catholic archdiocese in southern India has called on families, parishes and institutions to form children in faith, compassion and missionary spirit as part of Holy Childhood Day observances.

In a Jan. 28 pastoral circular, Benedictine Archbishop Mathew Moolakkatt of Kottayam said the annual observance aims to help children “grow in holiness and become witnesses to Christ.”

The theme for 2026, “Hands of Help, Hearts of Hope,” highlights the need to guide children toward service and empathy in what the archbishop described as an increasingly individualistic world. Kottayam Archdiocese celebrates Holy Childhood Day on Feb. 1.

“In today’s world, marked by growing selfishness and individualism, children are often influenced — knowingly or unknowingly — by attitudes centred on ‘I’ and ‘mine,’” the circular said, warning that such attitudes can lead to indifference toward others’ suffering.

The Holy Childhood movement, active in parishes across India, seeks to nurture missionary awareness among children from an early age. Through baptism, the circular said, children become members of the Church and participants in its mission.

Archbishop Moolakkatt emphasised the responsibility of parents and the wider Church to guide children spiritually, urging families to present them to God in prayer and foster deeper connections with the Church.

Forming children in faith and compassion

The circular stressed that Christian hope remains central to this formation. “Hope is an anchor for the soul, firm and secure,” it said, citing the Letter to the Hebrews, and calling for “seeds of hope” to be planted in children’s hearts.

It also pointed to the vulnerabilities faced by children despite social and technological progress, noting that many continue to experience physical and emotional harm. The Church, society and parents share responsibility for their protection and development, it said.

Quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the archbishop urged parents to treat children with dignity as “children of God” and to guide them with love and discipline.

The circular encouraged small acts of charity as a way to instil compassion, calling on children to recognise Christ in those who suffer and to respond through service.

It also reiterated the core vision of the Holy Childhood movement: “children helping children, children praying for children.”

Parishes and diocesan bodies have been organising prayer gatherings, retreats and other activities to mark the day, with special emphasis on children’s participation.

The circular directed that it be read in all parishes and institutions during Sunday Mass on Feb. 1, with collections to support Holy Childhood initiatives to be sent to the archdiocesan centre.

Church leaders expressed appreciation for priests, religious and lay coordinators who lead the programmes, urging continued efforts to build what the circular described as a generation shaped by faith, hope and mutual care.