The Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata stood bathed in reverence and quiet joy on October 7 as the congregation founded by Saint Teresa of Calcutta celebrated its 75th Foundation Day. At the platinum jubilee, the international congregation recommitted to their charism of “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor.”

The day’s commemorations began with Mass in the tomb chapel, attended by sisters, volunteers, and friends of the congregation. Prayers were offered for peace, interfaith harmony, and the suffering poor across the globe. A short documentary on the congregation’s global outreach was screened, followed by testimonies from long-time collaborators.

Sister Mary Joseph, the congregation’s superior general, in her address, said: “We do not celebrate ourselves today, but the grace of God that has sustained this mission for 75 years. Mother taught us that holiness is not a luxury—it is a simple duty of love. We renew that duty today.”

A highlight of the celebration was the unveiling of a newly installed statue of Mother Teresa, mounted on the side wall of the Mother House facing AJC Bose Road. The statue depicts Mother Teresa bending forward with open arms to receive a girl child running toward her—a tableau of welcome, humility, and maternal love. The composition captures the essence of Mother’s mission: to embrace the abandoned and unloved with the heart of Christ.

The function was attended by civic and religious dignitaries. Many onlookers paused in prayer to witness the roadside event. O’Brien hailed the Missionaries of Charity Sisters calling them “our champion women” – 5,766 of them along with 390 Brothers and several hundreds of collaborators and volunteers spread out in 138 countries. “For 75 years, they have served not just the poor, but the conscience of our city. Mother Teresa’s legacy is not just in homes and hospices—it’s in every act of quiet compassion that this city has learned to offer,” he said.

A Senior Vatican official has called on religious leaders to promote reconciliation and peace amid growing violence and intolerance worldwide, as he addressed a meeting in India. Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, made the appeal while addressing an interreligious gathering for peace in Mumbai on Oct. 4.

The meeting, organized by the Interreligious Dialogue Commission of the Archdiocese of Bombay as part of the Church’s Jubilee Year 2025 celebrations, brought together leaders from Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Islamic traditions, along with civic representatives, scholars, and peace activists.

Linking the gathering to the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, Cardinal Koovakad described the saint as “the saint of fraternal love, simplicity, and joy” and “a pioneer of interreligious dialogue who sowed seeds of peace.” Quoting Pope Leo XIII, he said religion “is not a source of conflict but a wellspring of healing and reconciliation.” Interreligious dialogue, he added, enables believers to “bear witness to the truth that faith unites more than it divides” and strengthens “our hope for a more just world.” Reflecting on the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council’s landmark document on interreligious relations, Koovakad said its principles continue to inspire “fraternity, friendship, unity, and solidarity for the good of humanity.”

Pope Leo XIV has confirmed Lazarus Devasahayam, an 18th century Indian saint, as the patron of the laity in the country, the Latin bishops’ conference announced on September 20. The July 16 confirmation came through the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. It follows a petition submitted by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), the national body of the Latin rite prelates in the country.

The official proclamation of the patronage will take place on October 15 during Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Varanasi. The event will coincide with the annual national meeting of the diocesan and regional secretaries of the CCBI Laity Commission, gathering representatives from dioceses across India, the conference stated.

Saint Lazarus Devasahayam (1712–1752) was a Hindu convert to Christianity and the first layman and martyr from India to be canonized by the Catholic Church. Born Neelakanda Pillai in Nattalam, Tamil Nadu, he served as a court official in the Kingdom of Travancore. Drawn to the Christian faith, he converted in 1745 and was baptized as Lazarus (Devasahayam in Tamil, meaning “God is my help”). His conversion led to persecution, imprisonment, and torture for refusing to renounce his faith. He was executed in 1752.

He was beatified on December 2, 2012, at Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, in a ceremony presided over by Salesian Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Francis canonized him on May 15, 2022, at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, proclaiming him a model of courage, faith, and commitment to justice. The Catholic Church has no single patron for the entire laity. It has recognized different saints as patrons of various aspects and groups within the laity, such as Saint Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) for laypeople living a holy life in the world and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925) as a patron for young adults.

Emeritus Archbishop Jacob Thoomkuzhy of Trichur, former vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, founder of the Society of Khristudasis (Handmaids of Christ) congregation and founder chairman of Jeevan TV, has died. The death occurred at 2:50 pm on September 17 at Trichur. He would have turned 95 on December 13 this year.

The Major Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly paid tribute to the late Archbishop Mar Jacob Thoomkuzhy, remembering him as a great pastor who, through his distinctive leadership, imparted the simplicity of Christ and a new sense of direction to the Church and society, aligning with the needs of the times.

Throughout his priestly life spanning over half a century and his pastoral service across three dioceses, Archbishop Thoomkuzhy was dedicated to spreading the Gospel and clearly manifesting the witness of Christ to many. By harmonizing his profound life experiences with a loving lifestyle, he made the Church’s services more meaningful and welcoming. Mar Thoomkuzhy’s ministry was set apart by his vision that the Church’s mission should be grounded in real-life experiences, human-centred, and open to timely renewal, says a press release published by the Major Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.

His leadership style in the dioceses of Mananthavady and Thamarassery, and Thrissur Archdiocese not only inspired the Church but also contributed to the moral and social development of the community. Mar Thoomkuzhy’s influence extended beyond the dioceses where he served; he made interventions that gave the entire Kerala Church a new sense of direction. Always close to the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly in both his methods and thoughts, Archbishop Thoomkuzhy courageously embraced the prophetic role of taking a firm stand, consistently serving as a good shepherd to God’s people. His passing is an immense loss to the Church, particularly to the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese. The unique qualities he demonstrated in his life of service will serve as an inspiration for the present and future of the Church.

The violence and harassment against Christians persist unabated in India, with at least two cases of harassment and police arrests over the weekend. A Catholic nun and a group of girls were detained in Jharkhand on suspicion of conversion on Sept. 19, while police in Uttar Pradesh arrested 14 Christians for allegedly violating the state’s strict anti-conversion law and the national criminal code.

In the Jharkhand incident, a Catholic nun, two staff members of a non-government organization, and 19 girls were detained at a railway station in Jamshedpur, eastern India. Church sources say police action followed allegations made by some right-wing Hindu groups, as the girls were traveling to attend a training program, and the nuns came to the railway station to welcome them.

Father Birendra Tete, director of Catholic Charities in the Jamshedpur diocese, told that the girls, aged 13-19, arrived for a focused event on adolescent health and skill development scheduled for Sept. 20-21. The police checked the girls’ documents, including consent papers from their parents and national identity cards, but seven of them did not have these papers, and some Hindu activists began to make noise. Diocesan chancellor Father Sushil Dungdung stated that Hindu hardliners, who are working to turn India into a Hindu theocratic country, often make false accusations to harass Christians and portray them negatively. About 1.4 million of Jharkhand’s estimated 33 million people are Christians, mostly tribal communities.

The Commission for Migrants of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) will be hosting the National Jubilee for Migrants celebration at Our Lady of Good Health Basilica, Velankanni, from November 6 to 8, 2025. The event, themed “Migrants, Missionaries of Hope in the Heart of Mary”, aims to honour and celebrate the resilience, faith, and contributions of migrants across India. Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, will inaugurate the celebration. The CCBI Commission for Migrants, the Scalabrini Congregation, and Caritas India are jointly organising the Jubilee celebration. Over 300 migrants, as well as members of the Commission and several religious congregations, have already confirmed their participation, highlighting the scale and significance of the event. In a press statement, Fr. Jaison Vadassery, Executive Secretary of the CCBI Commission for Migrants, emphasised that the celebration will be a moment of grace, renewal, and communion. He encouraged participants from all across the country to gather in faith and hope at the feet of the Blessed Mother to celebrate the missionary spirit of migrants in the life of the Church.

The Supreme Court stayed the Madras High Court’s decision that marriage under the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872, constitutes automatic conversion to Christianity and leads to loss of Scheduled Caste (SC) status. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Prashant Kumar Mishra issued the stay order notice in response to a petition filed by Theroor Town Panchayat Chairman V. Amudharani, challenging the High Court ruling.

The controversy arose after the Madras High Court, in a verdict delivered by Justice L. Victoria Gowri, held that Amudharani, who married a Christian man in 2005 at St. Antony’s Church in Kulasekaramputhoor, ceased to retain her SC status under constitutional provisions. The High Court noted that voluntary submission to Christian marriage rites, including publication of banns, automatically changes a person’s socio-legal identity, irrespective of whether he or she has received formal baptism or not. This led the court to conclude that Amudharani now fell under the Backward Classes category and was ineligible to continue serving in the SC-reserved post of chairman of the panchayat.

The legal dispute began when petitioner V. Iyyappan challenged Amudharani’s eligibility for the post, arguing that her original status as a member of the Hindu Pallan community (SC) was nullified by her Christian marriage. The High Court emphasised that the Indian Christian Marriage Act does not allow civil interfaith marriages, and marrying under the Act effectively identifies both spouses as Christians for legal purposes. Citing the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, and relevant precedents, the court directed concerned authorities to disqualify Amudharani from the post of chairman of the Theroor town panchayat and take necessary action against her under Section 50(1)(ddd) of the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920. The Supreme Court’s intervention now puts the High Court ruling on hold, pending further hearings on the matter. The next hearing date is expected to be scheduled after the responses to the apex court’s notice are filed.

Jesuits in the four provinces of India’s western region are leading a quiet revolution by aiming to become energy self-sufficient using only sunlight, setting an example for others to follow for sustainable, clean energy to protect the environment. About 60 institutions “have achieved zero electricity bills for quite some time and demonstrated that it is a viable project to save the only home we have — the fragile Earth,” says Father Frazer Mascarenhas, coordinator of the Ecology Platform of Jesuit West Zone Provinces in India. One of them is Vinayalaya, a Jesuit-run training centre, in western Mumbai (formerly Bombay). The centre has completely switched to solar power to generate renewable energy. The project aims to install solar panels in all 110 Jesuit residences, schools, and institutions in the four Jesuit provinces of the Western Zone — Bombay (Mumbai), Goa, Gujarat, and Pune — that together have 1,340 Jesuit priests and brothers.

Sister Innocent Joseph Ayyankanal, a member of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate, has spent over 40 years promoting Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine) and other forms of traditional medicine among rural and tribal communities in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu and the Wayanad district of neighbouring Kerala. Ayyankanal has conducted more than 2,000 awareness classes across India in association with the Catholic Health Association of India to promote Ayurveda in rural India. She also trained nuns, priests and other health care workers, who now promote these remedies in their areas. Born into a family of vaidyas (traditional healers), she has combined her knowledge of herbal medicine with her vocation as a nun. Ayyankanal continues her mission even at 78, helping people in need and collaborating with organizations such as Shalom TV to promote traditional medicine. She now resides at the Maryknoll Convent in Kunnalady in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, where she began her health care journey among tribal people in 1975.

Groups working to end human trafficking in northeastern India have forged a network among Churches in the region to tackle the social menace. “When the Church stands together in faith and action, we can transform migration from a story of vulnerability into a journey of hope,” asserted Rohit Bhalla, national convener of the People Uniting to Stop Human Trafficking (PUSH) at a national conclave held at Guwahati, Assam. Northeastern India, he pointed out, is rich in faith and culture, but remains vulnerable as a source region for unsafe migration and trafficking.

Besides PUSH, the August 26-27 event at Don Bosco Inspiration, Kharguli, was attended by a network of civil society organizations, Churches, and anti-trafficking crusaders. As many as 65 delegates from 12 Churches and Christian organizations attended the program. They spent the two days in prayer, worship, and strategic dialogue to promote sustainable solutions.

The Commission for Migrants under the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, Jesuit Refugee Service, and the Don Bosco network highlighted the Church’s shared mission to safeguard migrants and uphold the dignity of work.

While Bhalla emphasized faith communities’ role in combating trafficking, Aashima Samuel shared legal and social protection frameworks; K.A. Jayakumar highlighted development and policy perspectives; Salesian Fathers Joe Prabhu and George Mathew explored skill-building and livelihood opportunities; and Jayakumar, a retired Indian Administrative Service officer, provided governance insights. The conclave underscored the power of ecumenical collaboration in protecting vulnerable communities, strengthening livelihoods, and advancing God’s Kingdom through justice and solidarity.