Bangalore, India. Institute of Consecrated Life – Sanyasa (ICLS), expands its reach with regional seminars in India, engaging communities in theological reflection on fidelity and perseverance in consecrated life.
Since its very beginnings, has organized annual seminars on consecrated life at the institute premises. This year, ICLS began a new venture of organizing additional regional seminars at various locations in India to help consecrated men and women in the peripheries to engage in deeper theological reflection on consecrated life. Accordingly, three regional seminars were conducted this year. The first seminar was held at Karukutty in Kerala on February 18, 2023. Recently, two more such seminars were held at Ranchi and Kolkata on April 22 and 23, respectively. The seminars were organized with the Claretians of the Delegation of Kolkata and the local units of the Conference of Religious of India (CRI).
The theme of both seminars was “Fidelity and Perseverance in Consecrated Life: A Gift and a Challenge,” based on the 2020 document from DICLSAL, The Gift of Fidelity, the Joy of Perseverance, applying its insights to the regional contexts of India.
The seminars consisted of three input sessions, each focusing on each part of the document. In the first session, Fr. Arul Jesu Robin, CMF, director of ICLS, analyzed the struggles and challenges in fidelity and perseverance. In the second, Fr. Paulson Veliyannoor, CMF, asst. director of ICLS, focused on how to nurture fidelity and perseverance. The third session, on the canonical matters related to departures from consecrated life, was dealt with by Fr. Irudayaraj, a canonist of the Archdiocese of Kolkata. A panel discussion and Q&A session followed the sessions. The seminars were hosted at Claret Vidyaniketan minor seminary at Ranchi and Claret Nivas major seminary at Barrackpore.
ICL Sanyasa
The Institute is named Sanyasa because this word seems to be the closest equivalent of Consecrated life in the Indian traditions. But the Institute should not be misunderstood as an Ashram for those searching for a time of prayer, meditation and solitude. Contextualizing religious life in the Asian setting, Sanyasa offers an academic program for deepening the understanding of the consecrated form of life in the Church especially in the light of the Scripture, Magisterium, tradition and various theological interpretations with the scope of reviving and empowering the consecrated persons.
Source | Fr. Paulson Veliyannoor, CMF, Assistant Director ICL Sanyasa.
