GOD EXPERIENCE

Priests and Religious should be primarily men of prayer and God experienced people.
Every priest and religious are strongly advised to spend at least one and half-hour in personal prayer and prayer of the church besides the Holy Mass.
Priests and religious together should have holy hour once a week at the local level.
Sacrifices of any sort such as fasting on Fridays is highly recommended

RENEWAL PROGRAM

Every parish should organize an annual retreat and at least two recollections for the laity, preferably in advent and lent.
The laity must be encouraged to attend as many renewal programs as possible when conducted in the pastoral centre.
Occasionally, Sunday sermons should be oriented towards making the people aware of their rights and duties towards the Church.
Every parish should conduct adoration on first Fridays.
The diocese should organize an annual retreat for priests working in the diocese. As far as possible all the priests, especially the diocesan priests are to attend this retreat. If one is not able to attend this retreat, make sure they attend a retreat elsewhere.
A full day recollection for priests and religious should be organized once in two months in deanery level. All should participate in it whole-heartedly, leaving aside all the other activities.
After five years of ordination, once in three years every priest should attend a refresher/renewal course.

CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST

Every priest must spend at least some time in front of the Blessed Sacrament before and after the celebration of the Eucharist.
The priests should prepare the daily Mass and celebrate it devotionally.
On Sundays and solemn occasions Holy Eucharist should be celebrated more meaningfully. The parish community - namely, religious, brothers and laity should be involved more actively by their participation in singing, offertory procession, prayer of the faithful, arathis etc.
Group Mass should be organized for youth, children, elders etc. on specific occasions.

PARISH FEAST

Every parish according to their capacity must celebrate the parish feast every year.
The spiritual and renewal aspect should be given more importance in every parish feast celebration.

Importance and advantages of sacrament of reconciliation should be stressed. At least thrice in a year community celebration of sacrament of reconciliation should be organized, namely holy week, Christmas and parish feast.

A parish team consisting of priests, two sisters and the catchiest should visit every family at least twice a year.
Apart from these two visits, regular prayer service should be conducted in every family.
Catechism class must be made compulsory in every parish and hostels/schools.
A pre-marital preparatory course lasting one week should be organized in the diocesan level..

Maintain cordial relationship among the priests, religious and laity.
Abstain from criticism and correct each other when needed with fraternal love and charity.
Have a “forgive and forget” attitude and appreciate and encourage every work done.
Re-vitalize the zonal meeting and use this opportunity for sharing of personal/parish activities.
Understand, respect and appreciate our faithful and their cultural heritage.
Learn the language, customs and culture of the place.

PARISH COUNCIL:

Re-vitalize the existing S.C.Cs, parish councils and other pious associations.
Where ever parish council and S.C.C.s do not exist, they have to be started after due preparations before or by December 2000.
The members of these councils and associations should be encouraged to become true evangelizers and be given chance, to involve fully in all the activities, to make the parish active.
The parish council should function as per the diocesan parish council constitution.

FINANCE:

A minimum monthly subscription should be taken from all the Christian families, which should be deposited as a parish fund. This subscription should be collected by the parish council and deposited in the name of the parish priest and parish council secretary. The amount of monthly subscription should be decided by the parish councils of respective parishes.
On special occasions extra fund should be raised as per the decision of the parish council and use it for the same.
Besides the parish council, every parish should set up a parish finance committee.

EXECUTION OF ACTION PLAN:

A diocesan level steering committee should be formed consisting of the heads of all diocesan commissions, the secretary, the deans, the vicar general and the bishop who would see to the execution of the action plan and all the other activities. The bishop should call a meeting of the members once in six months to see that all the activities are oriented towards this vision.
The deans and any other members of the steering committee could occasionally visit parishes in their respective deaneries, to promote and encourage the execution of the action plan in the parish level.
During the monthly recollection the dean could organize a session, when needed, to evaluate the execution of the action plan.

OUR PRIORITIES

God experience and Faith formation.

Parish Councils, S.C.C.s and other Pious Associations.

Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation.