The completion ceremony for a month-long residential training program for catechists from the dioceses of the Northern and Eastern provinces took place on August 3rd 2024 at the Mannar Madhu Shrine Retreat Centre.
This event was organized by the Northern and Eastern Bishops’ Conference and coordinated by Rev. Fr. Christhunayagam, the program coordinator and the Vicar General of the Diocese of Mannar.
Rt. Rev. Dr. Christian Noel Emmanuel, Bishop of the Diocese of Trincomalee, attended the event as the chief guest. The ceremony began with a Holy Mass led by Bishop Christian Noel Emmanuel, followed by a series of stage events.
Key moments included the awarding of certificates, sharing of experiences, cultural performances, and speeches.
Notable attendees included Rt. Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Fernando, the Bishop of the Diocese of Mannar, Rev. Fr. Jebaratnam, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Jaffna, and the directors of catechetical centers of Mannar, Jaffna, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa.
The training program which held from July 6th to August 3rd under the theme “Shaping and Creating,” covered a wide range of subjects such as the Pentateuch, prophets, New Testament, liturgy, Christology, Mariology, moral theology, sacraments, Church history, catechetical methods, and leadership.
Thirty-seven catechists from four Tamil dioceses participated and benefited from the training.
