Bengaluru, India. The Institute of Consecrated Life – Sanyasa (ICLS) held its 21st Annual Seminar on the theme, “Consecrated to be Pilgrims of Hope Ensuring Dignitas Infinita for God’s People” on February 8 & 9. The purpose was to read the 2024 seminal document Dignitas Infinita on the infinite dignity of human beings in the context of the Jubilee theme of hope. The two-day Seminar was attended by around 200 religious men and women.
The Seminar was inaugurated by Fr. Agnal Amalan, CRS, secretary to the Priests’ Section of the National Conference of Religious of India. There were five plenary sessions on the following themes by various resource persons: “Dignitas Infinita: A Test on Infinite Hope” (Fr. Paulson Veliyannoor, CMF, director of ICLS); “Pneumatology of Hope and Dignity” (Fr. José Cristo Rey García Paredes, CMF, professor emeritus, ITVR); “Recovering Hope and Dignity of the Pilgrims on the Indian Peripheries” (Fr. George Kannanthanam, CMF, director, Sumanahalli Center & Founder, Project Vision); “Hope of Dignity Within the Church and Consecrated Life” (Sr. Lalitha Thomas, SJT, delegate to the Synod on Synodality); and, “Ministers of Hope and Dignity: Formative Implications” (Bro. Paul Raj, SG (Former Assistant General, Montfort Brothers). Following the presentations, there was a dynamic session of conversations between the presenters and the audience. Another unique feature was the poster presentation contest to encourage young formees to engage the Seminar theme through their creative posters. Claretian novices were the unanimous winners of the contest.
On the first day of the Seminar, the concluding Eucharist was celebrated by His Grace Peter Machado, archbishop of Bangalore. On the final day, Fr. Sabu George, CMF, president of ICLS and major superior of the Claretian province of Bangalore presided at the Eucharist.
