by Elena Grazini
Chennai – What does proclaiming the Gospel in Asia mean today? How does it take shape in concrete terms? Which real-life experiences, flourishing beyond any human calculation, can awaken questions in the hearts of fellow travelers? And what contribution can the Franciscan Family offer in this context?
In the year in which Pope Leo XIV proclaimed a Jubilee Year marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, the “Asian Franciscan Missionary Symposium” seeks to explore the role of the Franciscan contribution within the broader context of announcing the Gospel across the Asian continent.
The symposium will take place on August 1–2 in Chennai, home to the Basilica of St. Thomas, built over the tomb of the Apostle. It is an ideal setting to explore the mission of announcing the Gospel in the present time in light of the work entrusted by Jesus to the apostles, including Thomas, who, according to tradition, arrived in India in A.D. 52 to spread Christianity and ultimately gave his life there as a martyr.
The initiative is promoted by the International Secretariat of the Pontifical Missionary Union , FIATS , and TAU, the journal founded in India fifty years ago as a local academic initiative that has since grown into an internationally respected voice in Franciscan studies. The two-day event is also organized in collaboration with the Asian Franciscan Mission .
“If unity is the condition of mission, love is its essence. The Good News that we are sent to proclaim to the world is not an abstract ideal; it is the Gospel of God’s faithful love, which became flesh in the face and life of Jesus Christ.” These words, taken from the third section of Pope Leo XIV’s Message for World Mission Sunday 2026, express the inspiration behind the symposium, according to Conventual Franciscan Father Dinh Anh Nhue Nguyen, Secretary General of the Pontifical Missionary Union.
The Pope’s message also echoes the Franciscan spirit in its appeal to the whole Church: “Filled with admiration for men and women missionaries, I make a special appeal to the whole Church to join them in the mission of evangelization through the witness of our lives in Christ, through prayer and through our contributions to the missions. As Saint Francis of Assisi said, “Love is not loved,” and we look to him in a special way on the eight hundredth anniversary of his passing to heaven. Let us find inspiration in his desire to live in the love of the Lord and to transmit it to those both near and far, because, as he said, ‘this love Who hath loved us much is much to be loved'” .”
The Symposium, which can also be followed online through prior registration as indicated in the attached program, coincides with several significant anniversaries. Besides the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis, 2026 also marks the 100th World Mission Sunday, the 110th anniversary of the Pontifical Missionary Union, and the 50th anniversary of the journal TAU.
Proceedings on Saturday, August 1, will begin with an opening prayer, a traditional welcome dance and official greetings from organizers and hosts. The keynote session will be delivered by Bishop Ambrose Pitchaimuthu of Vellore, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in India, on the theme: “Announcing Christ in Asia Today with Saint Francis of Assisi: From Missio ad Gentes to Missio inter Gentes, in the Service of a Magnificent Humanity.”
This will be followed by the first of four thematic sessions, conceived as opportunities not only for presentations but also for dialogue and exchange. Among the speakers will be Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Consolata missionary and Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Representing Indonesia will be Divine Word Bishop Paulus Budi Kleden. Also contributing, in their capacity as National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies, will be Father Paul Chatsirey for Laos and Cambodia, and Capuchin Franciscan Br. Marcus Fernandes, delegate for missions of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, representing Bahrain.
The second session will focus on the contribution of the Franciscan Family to evangelization in Asia. Speakers will include Conventual Franciscan Br. Alphonse Vazhappanady, presenting “Witnesses of Christ’s Endless Love”; Br. Saji Mathew, OFM, with “Franciscan Mission in Asia as an Unscripted Encounter and Conversation”; Sister Sherly Mariyam Joseph Naithparambil, FMM, on “Evangelization through compassionate FMM Presence in Mumbai to reach the unreached”; and Sister Jacqueline Mary, SSAM, on “The SSAM Family in the light of the Franciscan Spirituality.”
The afternoon will open with the third session, an interactive workshop in which participants will gather in small groups for reflection and practical activities on “Renewing Missionary Spirituality in light of Pope Francis’ and Pope Leo XIV’s Messages for World Mission Sundays from 2022 to 2026.”
The fourth and final session will explore the different perspectives of the Franciscan contribution to the mission in Asia, highlighting its specific characteristics. The panel will include Sister Princy Rose, FCC on “Women Franciscans: A Call to be Minors: Multiple Perspectives on the Women Franciscan Mission in Asia”; Br. Sunnylal Avarappattu, MMB will present “Franciscan Brothers: Franciscan Mission in Asia:
Primary Issues, Contemporary Challenges, Solutions, and Achievements from the Perspectives of the Franciscan Brothers”; and Br. Oliver Fernando, OFS who will address the theme “Franciscan Mission in Asia: Contemporary Challenges, Witness, and Contributions from the Perspective of the Secular Franciscan Order.”
The symposium will conclude with a keynote reflection by Capuchin Br. Nithiya Sagayam, who will examine “The Future of the Franciscan Mission in Asia” in the light of Pope Leo XIV’s Message for World Mission Sunday 2026 and his letter to the Ministers General of the Conference of the Franciscan Family for the 2026 Jubilee Year.
A significant moment of the gathering will be the Eucharistic celebration at Saint Sebastian’s Church in Chennai, followed by a cultural evening featuring music, singing, dance and theatrical performances involving numerous Catholic schools and religious institutions.
On Sunday, August 2, participants will conclude the event with a missionary pilgrimage beginning with the celebration of Holy Mass at the tomb of Saint Thomas the Apostle, followed by visits to several Franciscan missionary sites.
Link correlati :PROGRAM
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