Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil took time with SAR News correspondent Father C.M. Paul to recall the agony and ecstasy of hosting the Catholic hierarchy of India in Guwahati.

SAR News: What was your role as the host of the CBCI meeting?
Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil: As the host of the 29th general body meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), February 23 to March 3, 2010, my main duty was not handling the content of the discussions but ensuring the comfort and convenience of the participants, giving attention to their food and stay, to the effective functioning of the sound-system and other equipment related to communication, and contributing to a general atmosphere that is friendly and stimulating. Guwahati, being a young diocese, the facilities that we could provide were limited. A new building we had put up with the name “Inspiration” came convenient for the occasion. Looking after 157 bishops, the secretaries of commissions and directors of national institutes, the youth delegates (‘youth’ being the theme of the conference), experts, persons who came to interact with the bishops informally, 72 dancing troupes which came from different parts of the region, and the volunteers who helped, was not an easy task. My main task was to keep the welcoming team united and motivated.

SAR News: What was your greatest challenge of the entire event?
Archbishop: I do not want to hide the fact that I had some fear about the security of the participants. But that was a minor fear. The Chief Minister, Mr. Tarun Gogoi, took personal interest to provide security. I had also some anxiety whether there would be negative comments in the press. On the contrary, the press was positively interested in the direction of the discussions on youth.
But the real challenge was to help the bishops to keep their time schedules so that they could give full attention to their deliberations. It meant the smooth functioning of the transport systems, food arrangements, communication facilities, information network, and secretarial assistance. There could have been water shortages, electricity failure, phone disruption, some unforeseen political commotion, or a stray bomb blast. With God’s help, none of these things happened. Nonetheless, our team had remained alert and attentive.

SAR News: What would you say were the pleasant surprises during the course of the event?
Archbishop: Most bishops sat back in amazement at the view of the mighty Brahmaputra river. Many local experts consider it (DBI) the best view of the Great River in the entire course of thousands of kilometres through Tibet, India and Bangladesh. Some were deeply impressed by the ethnic variety in the team of helpers, whether they were priests, brothers, sisters or lay people. Though they belonged to different tribes, religious congregations, dioceses and cultural traditions, they worked together with great joy.

Evidently they loved the Church, and loved their bishops. I was edified by the tirelessness of some volunteers who hardly slept 2 hours a night. What was more encouraging was the generosity of the some members of the ‘Jesus Youth’ who took turns to spend 24 hours day before the Blessed Sacrament. It was an offer that came from them, not anything that the organisers arranged. Equally edifying was the fact that bishops of the region, religious superiors, heads of institutions and parishes and individuals made generous donations towards the expenditures of the meeting.

SAR News: Would you share some relevant anecdotes, enthusiasm generated in the region?
Archbishop: The cultural evening of February 28 was a stunning event. When 72 dancing troupes came out in tribal dress to dance each to its own traditional tunes, it was not anything that the bishops were expecting. They took note with interest that each group corresponded to a distinct ethnic group with a language, culture and customs of its own. It was like the repetition of the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. Some troupes had travelled two or three days to come and take part in the great event. The chief minister was impressed, the spectators even more.

The bishops were also glad to have each day some special guests who joined them for mass and breakfast. The first day they were representatives of the priests and brothers of the region, the second day the religious sisters, the third day all young people in formation around Guwahati. Another day we had invited the Catholic leaders of the region for a cup of tea with the bishops, many of whom were members of state legislatures or members of parliament or ministers.
The young delegates were delighted to sit with the bishops at table and at informal times and discuss matters of great importance concerning their future.

SAR News: What plans for NE youth have transpired your mind during the bishops’ meet?
Archbishop: I am becoming more and more convinced that the answer to ensuring good guidance to youth is not more and more ‘lecturing’ to them or more and more ‘brainwashing’ which we think they need. These are bound to be mostly unacceptable or ineffective. But they cannot resist is your friendship. It means we need to take them seriously and come down to their level and share life with them, make them participants of the challenges that we ourselves are confronting. It seems to me that they will not pull back, and possibly, in a short time they will walk ahead and show us the way. There is no substitute for evangelisation and catechesis through relationship: warm cordial relationships multiplied a hundred times. When this relationship is strengthened by associating them with us both in our agonies and our achievements, there can be no failure.

SAR News: An aftermath of the CBCI meet, what is your topmost priority for youth ministry and the region?
Archbishop: I have always thought that our priority should be to stay close to those whom I describe as the ‘thinking youth’. You will always find in a group of young people some whose ideas ultimately carry. They are not always the elected or appointed leader, not necessarily the activist, but they are people who think. Their ideas are consistent, and they have the ability to develop a working philosophy for action in the context. Unconsciously even the elected leaders take up their ideas and make them their own, and activists follow in consequence. If the ‘thinking youth’ can be guided and helped to generate positive ideas, the future is safe. If they go astray, the entire group will move in the same direction.

But even when we fail, we can ask young people to help us. They love nothing more than being engaged in a ‘risky’, but meaningful undertaking.

SAR News: How has the CBCI final statement inspired you and what practical decisions have you drawn up?
Archbishop: The Statement draws our attention to young people who pull off from their roots and move on to new places looking for study and job opportunities. If they become rootless with reference to their community, culture and religion, they will be greatly enfeebled. How do we help them? The responsibility falls back on adults and religious leaders at the place of their origin, and also on the pastoral personnel at the place of their destination. Every religious house at urban centres where many young people congregate can take up the responsibility of being of assistance to them.

SAR News: Any other point you would like to make?
Archbishop: While I am grateful to the bishops who came, I am especially grateful to the team that helped: headed by Father Varghese Kizhakevely, especially, Father V.M. Thomas, SDB, Father Santiago, Father Joseph Thelekkat, SDB, and a host of others… including the bishops of the region and religious superiors.

If you want to know meaning of the words “There is joy in serving”, come to Guwahati and visit places in the Northeast. And you will understand. But take care, you may catch the same fever!