Pastoral plan puts youth, migrants and poor at center

CHANDIGARH (Indian Catholic News) — The Diocese of Simla and Chandigarh in northern India has set out a seven-year pastoral plan emphasizing evangelisation, youth leadership, greater lay participation and outreach to marginalised communities.

Bishop Sahaya Thatheus Thomas who presented the Diocesan Pastoral Plan 2026-2033, titled “Together Towards 2033: A Shared Mission” said it is the “fruit of a long and grace-filled journey – of prayerful reflection, sincere dialogue, and attentive listening”.

The plan seeks to strengthen the Church’s missionary identity while responding to the challenges of serving a geographically extensive region where Catholics form a small minority.

It builds on the diocese’s earlier pastoral plan of 2002 and incorporates insights from the Church’s synodal process, which emphasizes communion, participation and mission.

A missionary Church rooted in local realities

The plan’s vision is to create “a New Society centred on Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, permeated with the Gospel Values, and be transformed in mind and heart.”

Its mission statement calls for Christians to become “Spirit-filled witnesses of Christ in a pluralistic society” and to collaborate with others to empower vulnerable people.

The document identifies the region’s religious diversity, geographical spread, migration and economic inequality as significant pastoral challenges.

The diocese covers 83,560 square kilometres across Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, as well as the union territory of Chandigarh. It serves a population of about 53.95 million people, including approximately 23,225 Catholics.

Its pastoral responsibilities extend across 67 parishes and mission stations. The document says mountainous terrain and remote rural communities make pastoral outreach and regular sacramental ministry difficult.

Migration and mobility also affect continuity in parish life and faith formation, while urbanization and modern culture pose challenges to sustained youth engagement.

The plan calls for a missionary approach that responds to these circumstances through evangelisation, education, social outreach and stronger collaboration among clergy, religious and laypeople.

Youth, laity and marginalized communities

A central priority is to increase the participation of laypeople, women and young people in decision-making and the Church’s mission.

The document calls for investment in leadership formation and capacity-building so that laypeople, youth and women become active partners in pastoral work.

It also emphasizes inclusive outreach to migrants, the poor, people with disabilities and other marginalized communities.

The plan’s core values include “Love and Compassion,” “Reconciliation and Peace-building,” “Upholding Human Dignity” and “Gender Equity and Equality.”

It calls for “Ensuring equal dignity and participation of women in the Church” and stresses the importance of respecting religious and cultural diversity.

The diocese also aims to strengthen interreligious dialogue and cooperation with ecumenical, civil and other institutions.

Its stated core principles include a “Preferential Option for the Poor and Needy,” shared responsibility, teamwork, accountability and transparency, and recognition of the contributions of lay professionals.

Faith formation and social responsibility

The plan gives particular importance to strengthening faith formation and deepening the spiritual life of families and parish communities.

It identifies Bible formation, catechesis, liturgy, theology, family ministry and evangelisation among the areas requiring sustained attention.

Its pastoral framework includes commissions for basic ecclesial communities, Scripture, faith formation, liturgy, ecology, ecumenism and dialogue, family, women, youth, migrants and the laity.

Education, health, media and social outreach are also included as key pastoral sectors.

The plan highlights the role of educational institutions in value formation and social outreach, while encouraging young people to take up leadership and missionary responsibilities.

It also calls for ecological responsibility and social and environmental justice, alongside efforts to safeguard children and vulnerable people.

These priorities are intended to strengthen the Church’s contribution to a pluralistic society through service, dialogue and a commitment to human dignity.

Implementation through shared responsibility

The pastoral plan is structured around a long-term mission trajectory running from 2026 to 2033, supported by goals, objectives, measurable indicators and action plans.

Its first implementation phase covers 2026-2028, followed by a medium-term phase from 2029 to 2031 and a long-term phase beginning in 2032.

Activities are to be implemented at parish, deanery, diocesan and institutional levels, with coordination among the various commissions.

The document calls for regular monitoring, evaluation and accountability, while allowing plans to be revised through continued discernment.

Bishop Thomas has appointed an implementation committee comprising clergy, religious and lay representatives to guide and support the process.

In his introductory message, the bishop said the plan’s success depended on more than its preparation.

“The success of this Pastoral Plan depends not merely on its formulation, but on its faithful implementation,” he wrote, calling for “renewed commitment, collaboration, and unity” among the faithful.

He also emphasized that evangelisation requires personal conversion and credible Christian witness.

The plan ultimately seeks to build a Church that is participatory, outward-looking and attentive to local needs, while remaining focused on its missionary calling.

Read the pastoral plan.