Family

About

1. Brief Description

CCBI Commission for Family endeavours to address all the family related needs, and enable families to grow spiritually. The Family commission of CCBI oversees the functioning of Regional Family Commissions. The principal activity of the National Commission is to coordinate meetings of Secretaries of Regional Family Commissions and assist them to organize Training for the Trainers (TOT). It also conducts Biennial Meeting of Diocesan Directors/Secretaries of Family Apostolate and guides them to deepen and grow in the apostolate. It also co-ordinates and animates various family movements in India. Publications of bulletins, magazines, books and use of media is an important function of the commission.

2. Vision

“Christ centered, loving, joyful, witnessing families, nurturing life.”

3. Mission

“Promoting understanding and harmony among family members, empowering them to become living sanctuaries of the Gospel values, motivating them to be agents of transformation for Church and society and, engaging them to be open to culture of life.”

4. Aim

To evangelize, re-evangelize family in order to empower it to become an agent of evangelization.

5. Objectives

1. To establish/strengthen infrastructure to foster Family Apostolate at different levels (such as parish, diocese and region);

2. To assist regions in order to promote and support Marriage preparation and Marriage Enrichment Programmes;

3. To train resource persons at the regional level for the various segments of the apostolate;

4. To network with family movements and other organizations;

5. To emphasize Pro-Life issues;

6. Brief History

For the Last twenty five years CCBI Commission for family, under the chairmanship of Most Rev. Aloysius P. D’Souza, Most Rev. Agnelo Gracias and present Chairman Most Rev. Lawrence Pius Dorairaj, is striving very hard to materialize the vision of the Pope. A sample of it can be found in programs and training seminars conducted by the CCBI Commission for Family, namely, Pro-Life issues, training of couples for family movements., orientation for family apostolate, teams training, marriage Enrichment, family spirituality, family and Eucharist, theology of the body, families and education, remote, proximate marriage preparation and follow-up seminar. The national office of the CCBI Commission for Family has prepared resource books, material, and power point presentations to help train personnel for the family apostolate.

In order to further decentralize the family ministry and make it more focused, Regional Family Commissions were established after the CCBI Plenary held at Ranchi from March 4th to 9th 2005. Resource material in the form of books, Literature, CD Cassettes has been prepared by the various Regional Centers of the family apostolate.

Office Bearers

Chairman

Most Rev. Barthol Barreto

Bishop of Nashik

Bishop’s House

Jail Road, Nashik Road – 422 101

Maharashtra, India

Phone: +91-9920588770

Email: bartholbarretto@gmail.com

Executive Secretary

Rev. Fr. Arul Raj Gali

Shanti Sadan

CCBI Secretariat Extension

Benaulim, Goa – 403 716, India

Mobile : +91-9900517523; 9307342086

Email : family@ccbi.in

Member

Most Rev. T. Joseph Raja Rao S.M.M

Bishop of Vijayawada

Bishop’s House, 59 A 1-7

Ring Road, Vijayawada – 520 008

Krishna Dist., Andhra Pradesh, India

Phone: 0866 – 2471355

Email: vjbishop@gmail.com

Member

Most Rev. Peter Sebastian Goveas

Bishop of Bettiah

Bishop’s House Bettiah P.O. – 845 438

West Champaran Dt., Bihar, India

Tel : 7903953493

Email : bettiahdiocese2021@rediffmail.com

Former Office Bearers

Former Chairmen

1. Most Rev. Aloysius P. D’Souza, Mangalore: 1988- 2002

2. Most Rev. Agnelo Gracias, Bombay Auxiliary: 2002 to 2010

3. Most Rev. Lawrence Pius Dorairaj, Dharmapuri: 2010-2019

4. Most Rev. Sebastian Kallupura, Patna: 2019-2023

5. Most Rev. Barthol Barreto, Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay: 2023-

Former Executive Secretaries

1. Fr. Anthonysamy Francis

2. Fr. Vernon Vaz: 2002-2006

3. Fr. Egidio Fernandes: 2006-2007

4. Fr. Arul Raj Gali: 2007-2011

5. Fr. Michael Peters: 2011-2013

6. Fr. Pramod Dhalabanjan: 2013-2014

7. Fr. Milton Gonsalves: 2014-2022

8. Fr Arul Raj Gali: 2022-