Inauguration of the Institute of Pastoral Management & Launching of Its Flagship Programme “Pastoral Management Course” Welcome by Saju Chackalackal, President, DVK

DHARMARAM VIDYA KSHETRAM BANGALORE Inauguration of the Institute of Pastoral Management & Launching of Its Flagship Programme “Pastoral Management Course” Welcome by Saju Chackalackal, President, DVK Your Grace Rt. Rev. Dr. Alphonsus Mathias, Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Bangalore, Rev. Dr. Thomas Aykara CMI, Rector of Dharmaram College, Rev. Dr. Josey Thamarassery, CMI Coordinator General in Germany, Rev. Prof. Dr. Thomas Kollamparampil, Dean Faculty of Theology, Rev. Dr. Alex Thannippara CMI, Director of the Institute of Pastoral Management, Rev. Prof. Dr. Francis Thonippara, Professor of Church History and the former President of DVK, Rev. Dr. Jose Nandhikkara, Dean, Faculty of Philosophy, Rev. Dr. Sebastian Payyappilly CMI, Director of the Institute of Oriental Canon Law, other members of the staff, Fathers, Sisters, Brothers, and other student representatives, and very especially, the first batch students of the Pastoral Management Course, which we launch today at DVK, Monday, 15 October 2012, a couple of days after the formal launching of the Year of Faith and on the Feast of Mother Teresa of Avila, a doctor of the church and an eminent Carmelite; today is a day to be marked in golden letters in the annals of Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, Pontifical Athenaeum of Philosophy, Theology, Canon Law, and Formative Spirituality and Counselling, as we inaugurate the Institute of Pastoral Management under the auspices of the Faculty of Theology at DVK and launch its flagship programme, the Pastoral Management Course. With the launching of this programme, DVK enters a new era in offering training programmes in pastoral ministry with special focus on target groups; moreover, this is going to be the first of its kinds, as this programme would be the first that we offer exclusively to ordained priests. Another dimension to be highlighted today is the fact that DVK launches this Pastoral Management Course in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Köln, which has been a longstanding partner in the growth and development of DVK. In fact, the newly added dimension in this course indicates that DVK is now equipped to offer a customized programme to prepare ordained priests from the Indian Catholic Church to avail themselves to meet the pastoral needs and challenges of the Archdiocese of Köln, in particular, and all other German speaking dioceses, in general. It is, indeed, remarkable to note that DVK has achieved this status both in terms of its infrastructure and academic competence. With this programme, we are opening a new era of association not only with the Archdiocese of Köln, but also it enters into a collaboration with the Goethe Institut in Bangalore, as they would be offering the language training in German here on our DVK premises. I am glad to acknowledge the fact that DVK has come a long way in this process of development, and I would like to acknowledge the longstanding support it has received particularly from Dharmaram College and all its constituent units, including Christ University and Christ Schools, the Archdiocese of Köln and the MISSIO, Aachen, Germany. Had it not been for their constant support and accompaniment, DVK would not have come this far and its accomplishments would have been quite little. However, I admit, joyfully and with legitimate pride that Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram has a name and fame in the ecclesiastical education, which has been a legacy of the CMI Congregation, starting with its venerable founders, Rev. Fr. Thomas Palackal, Rev. Fr. Thomas Porukkara, and Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara. They had a clear and focused thrust in imparting ecclesiastical education, as they aimed at equipping everyone trained to be effective pastors who would be able to reach out to the faithful and establish them in true faith to meet the adversities and challenges of day-to-day life. After having received missionary support from Europe for a few centuries, the Catholic Church in India has come to a stature where she has become the most missionary-sending country to the rest of the world, and in that context the launching of the Pastoral Management Course would make a better sense that we send the missionaries out with proper and adequate preparation. In fact, the documents of the Church have reiterated the fact that whenever someone is sent out as a missionary to an alien country or land, he or she should be properly trained not only in language, but also in the culture, traditions, and lifestyles so that the Word of God could be preached to them more effectively, without hurting their self-respect and religious sentiments. In this connection, it is the earnest hope of DVK that this new programme and the yet to be launched special programmes in pastoral care in the course of time will empower the Indian missionaries to be better Christian witnesses among the various peoples to whom all of us are sent. It is with gratitude that I remember the fact that the idea of such a programme emerged during an informal conversation between Dr. Rudolf Solzbacher from the Weltkirche – Weltmission, Archdiocese of Köln, and Rev. Fr. Thomas Aykara CMI, our beloved Rector. Later, the idea was developed by Fr. Aykara, which has been, then, entrusted with DVK for its realization. Rev. Fr. Francis Thonippara CMI, my predecessor in the office of the President, facilitated its establishment and the designing of the programme in which originally both Rt. Rev. Msgr. Dr. Dominic Schwaderlapp, now the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Köln, and Rev. Msgr. Dr. Markus Hofmann had also been directly involved. Their visits to DVK had been instrumental in giving a definite shape to the idea and the programme. The programme has been designed in detail in consultation with the Archdiocese of Köln and Rev. Dr. Alex Thannippara CMI, Director of the IPM, along with other staff members, particularly of the Faculty of Theology, had been instrumental in giving the final shape to the programme. Today, we are ready to launch the programme, and thus, the Institute of Pastoral Management formally comes into existence with its vibrant and meaningful pastoral training programmes. On this day, I am immensely happy to have the presence of a person with an ardent and passionate pastoral heart and a proven and successful pastoral animator and administrator in the person of His Grace Rt. Rev. Dr. Alphonsus Mathias, the Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Bangalore to be our Chief Guest and to inaugurate our new Institute of Pastoral Management. I am immensely grateful to him for his gracious presence today amidst us. His Grace Alphonsus Mathias has been closely associated with Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, very specially from 1986 onwards, in the capacity of the Archbishop of Bangalore and the Pro Chancellor of DVK. When I was a student of philosophy, His Grace used to visit us on many occasions, and I still very vividly recall the very interesting and inspiring speeches he had made to the students body on those occasions. A brilliant orator and master of many languages, His Grace is always remembered for his meaningful and transformative homilies and powerful exhortations, apart from his successful pastoral administration and growth of the Archdiocese of Bangalore in its structural as well as Christian spiritual life. I am very happy that he has been contributing to the growth of DVK in many different ways, and today, it is very special for us that His Grace has agreed to be with us to inaugurate our Institute of Pastoral Management, which I believe is very close to his heart as an ardent and efficient pastor. In the name of Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, and all those who have gathered here, may I extend to Your Grace a very cordial and warm welcome to this inaugural ceremony! A very hearty welcome, Your Grace! As I have already mentioned, the first person who started to dream and plan about this programme of Pastoral Management Course under the auspices of a new Institute of Pastoral Management from our side was Rev. Dr. Thomas Aykara CMI, our Rector. He had taken up his informal conversation with Dr. Solzbacher seriously, and his innovative mind and persuasive style finally bear their fruit in the form of the newly established Institute of Pastoral Management. The association of Fr. Rector with Dharmaram and DVK in the capacity of a professor, president of DVK, and, now, finally in the office of Rector, is in its fifth decade; he has immensely contributed to the making of this Athenaeum, both through innovative academic programmes and administrative and infrastructural facilities. The establishment of the IPM and its flagship programme, the Pastoral Management Course, could be seen as the realization of his cherished dream. I am glad to acknowledge that Fr. Thomas Aykara, our beloved Rector, was not only the originator of the idea, but has was always with us in deliberating about the structure of the institute and its academic programme. His continued support and availability to DVK need no explanation. Hence, today, it is my privilege to very cordially welcome our Rector, Rev. Dr. Thomas Aykara CMI, to preside over this inaugural meeting. Dear Fr. Rector, while thanking you for your on-going support to DVK and acknowledging your unique contributions in the making of the IPM, I cordially and wholeheartedly welcome you to this meeting. Rev. Dr. Josey Thamarassery, the CMI Coordinator General in Germany, is with us. Both as an efficient pastor and an able academician with his PhD in Pastoral Theology from the University of Muenster, with his expertise in a decade long pastoral ministry in Germany, Fr. Josey was also involved in the planning of the IPM; as Fr. Josey functions as the bridge between DVK and the Archdiocese Köln, he was always taking care of the details and providing us information and insights in finalizing the programme. The first course to be offered to the Pastoral Management Course students will be handled by Fr. Josey; he will engage them for two days, highlighting the various dimensions of the pastoral experience that he has gathered through his presence and mission in Germany. Fr. Josey, I appreciate and thank you for travelling all the way to be part of this inauguration and to instruct and motivate our students. Please accept our warm welcome to this inaugural function. A hearty welcome, Fr. Josey! I cordially welcome Rev. Prof. Dr. Francis Thonippara, who, in his capacity as the president of DVK, took the burden of planning and executing the whole project; he made things easy for me in launching the programme, by coordinating every detail in association with Rev. Prof. Dr. Paulachan Kochappilly, the then Dean of the Faculty of Theology. He also has taken keen interest to be with us, as he returned today early morning from Rome after a hectic conference on the Vatican Council II. As you all know, Rev. Dr. Alex Thannippara CMI is the Director of the Institute of Pastoral Management. Although he does not require a formal welcome, I acknowledge all that he has been doing for the realization of this cherished dream. His contributions in the planning of the programme and in establishing contact with both the Archdiocese of Köln and the Goethe Institut must be acknowledged and appreciated. Fr. Alex, as we inaugurate the IPM and launch the programme, I cordially welcome you to this inaugural session and wish you all the best in conducting it the best way possible. May I also accord a very cordial welcome to all our new students, 19 of them coming from different parts of India, with an earnest heart and an intent mind to prepare themselves for the special invitation that they have received for pastoral ministry in Germany. While wishing them all the best and God’s choicest blessings upon them, I accord them a very cordial and warm welcome. May I welcome the Deans of the Faculty of Theology and Faculty of Philosophy, Director of the Institute of Oriental Canon Law, and all the staff members and other invited guests and all our students to this inaugural function. Most cordial welcome to one and all! Before I close, I wish to place on record the contributions made by many in our progress towards the realization of this dream. Rev. Prof. Dr. Paulachan Kochappilly, as the former dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Rev. Dr. Alex Thannippara, the Director of the Institute of Pastoral Management, Rev. Prof. Dr. Thomas Kollamparampil, Associate Director of IPM, Rev. Dr. Shaji George Kochuthara, our efficient registrar, who is also the master of ceremonies for today’s function, and Rev. Fr. Davis Panadan, our Finance Administrator and the Director of DVK Research Centre, for facilitating everything for this inauguration of the Institute of Pastoral Management. In this Year of Faith, thanking the Lord for the abundant blessings He showers on DVK and every staff and student of this Pontifical Athenaeum, and acknowledging the wonderful support we receive particularly from Dharmaram College and the Archdiocese of Köln, and hoping that the Institute of Pastoral Management would pave the way for a more effective pastoral ministry and the spreading of the Word of God to the bounds of earth, and welcoming you all, once again, I remain, thank you! Prof. Dr. Saju Chackalackal CMI President, DVK