NEWS
41 Deacons Begin Month-long Formation Course
A month-long, all-India Salesian Deacons’ Course, promoted by the Salesian Provincial Conference of South Asia (SPCSA), began on 18 September at the Don Bosco Renewal Centre in Bangalore. It brought together 41 deacons from 10 provinces for an extended period of formation and preparation for their forthcoming pastoral and youth ministry.
The inaugural programme was held in the presence of Fr Biju Michael, Regional Councillor for South Asia; Fr Banzalao, Delegate for South Asia Formation; and Fr Kennedy, Provincial of the Tiruchy Province. Fr Biju Michael presided over the inaugural Holy Mass and delivered the opening conference to the deacons
In his conference, Fr Biju focused on the importance of listening with the mind, heart and will, with patience. He stressed that pastoral accompaniment requires more than simply hearing people. It calls for an attentive understanding of their situations, an empathetic response to their experiences and a willingness to accompany them patiently.
Reflecting on pastoral charity, Fr Biju highlighted the responsibility of ministers to respond to the material and basic needs of the poorest young people. He also underlined the importance of patient educational work that enables young people to become fully themselves and to grow towards human and social maturity.
He further emphasised the responsibility of pastoral ministry to educate young people in a Christian manner, helping them encounter and live the values of the Gospel. Such pastoral charity, he noted, is directed to the substance of Jesus’ own ministry, which places service, accompaniment and the integral growth of people at the heart of pastoral action.





Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Year of publication: 2026
Available from: 4 March 2026
Pages: 928 pp., Paperback










