MULTAN, Pakistan (UCAN) -- At the Pakistan Church's first follow-up of the 2006 Asian Mission Congress, Catholics from a central diocese wanted to know how the story of Jesus could be told amid the diversity of their desert area.

About 120 priests, nuns, youth leaders and other laypeople from Multan diocese's 18 parishes attended the local Catholic Church's first Diocesan Mission Congress (DMC). Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad told them, "People of other faiths want to know about Jesus."

With "Telling the Story of Jesus in the Southern Punjab" as its theme, the congress took place May 7-10 at Boland Hall next to Cathedral of the Holy Redeemer in Multan, 415 kilometers southwest of Islamabad.

Southern Punjab includes parts of the Cholistan and Thar deserts where poor tribal people work as bonded laborers and farmers. Many follow Sufism, while others are Hindus and Sikhs. Those who are Christians are converted Siraikis or Multani, an ethnic group from the southeastern areas.

During the DMC, Church leaders discussed new ways of being Church, past missioners' contributions in telling the story of Jesus, and measures to revive the missionary zeal of clergy and laity alike.

Bishop Coutts recalled a pastoral visit he made to villages in Sindh province's Thar Desert 15 years ago, when he was bishop of Hyderabad, and how the story of Jesus caught the attention of his Hindu security officer.

"As the Mass for the Sacrament of Confirmation concluded, one of the two policemen looking after my security -- one Hindu, the other a Muslim -- asked about the man in the pictures of the 14 Stations of the Cross," he said. "I replied by briefly narrating the story of Jesus."

Given the policeman's obvious interest, the bishop decided to present new sermons focused on the parables of Jesus, particularly the Good Samaritan, as he went on to visit the desert villages.

"After a few days, the Hindu policeman asked me to go to his village and conduct a similar prayer for all who do not know about the life of Jesus," the prelate recounted. Southern Punjab, he added, still has many places where the story of Jesus has not yet been told.

Several people commented on Bishop Coutts' "fascinating" village encounters.

"It was a nice experience to share as it depicts how we can introduce Jesus to the common man of another religion who knows nothing about Him (Jesus)," Dominican Father Akhtar Naveed told UCA News. The experiences of past and present missioners, he added, can inspire and enhance a person's spirituality.

On the second day of the congress, Bishop Andrew Francis of Multan divided participants into four groups to assess the situation of the Church in Southern Punjab and to consider ways to tell the story of Jesus.

The participants described problems of discrimination, insecurity, poverty and minimal "missionary" activity, and suggested promotion of education, basic catechism, greater cooperation among Christian denominations, and friendly relations with the Muslim majority to counter those challenges.

"By sharing testimonies and following our Christian values in strengthening relations with Muslims," one of the group leaders pointed out, "we can promote the story of Jesus and inspire a self-sufficient Church."

As the congress was closing, Bishop Francis blessed 120 mission crosses and distributed them to the participants.

According to Father Shakeel John, the DMC coordinator and the cathedral's parish priest, the diocesan congress was held in response to the Asian Mission Congress that took place in Thailand Oct. 18-22, 2006, under the theme, "The Story of Jesus in Asia: A Celebration of Faith and Life." Father John was one of 14 Pakistani delegates who attended that event, Asia's first such congress.

"The event encouraged me to look forward to a people-oriented Church, which was new to me," he told the DMC participants. "Catholics generally say the Church belongs to the parish priest only. We invited youths from every parish to give a mission call as a sign of commitment in their parishes and share the congress experience in seminars or tell stories of Jesus by holding dramas."

Summing up the event, Father John said, "The DMC is like a new Pentecost."

He also pointed out that a national congress is to be held Dec. 18-22 in Karachi and its theme is "Telling the Story of Jesus in Pakistan."

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