The archbishop of Dhaka said families must take a greater role in contributing to Church teaching during a seminar yesterday that unveiled the local Church’s pastoral plan for the year.

Holy Cross Archbishop Patrick D’Rozario told about 35 representatives from various dioceses that families needed to work harder to reshape the Church, and that work must begin in the home.

“Every family is a domestic Church because the children get their first catechism in the family. In this age of globalization every Catholic can’t get education at Church schools, or they study in schools where teachers on Christianity are not available.

“To counter the situation, families need to take up the duty to offer catechism to their children,” he said at the seminar, held at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh center in Dhaka.

The prelate also encouraged families to gather in groups of 10 or 12 to form small communities, headed by a spiritual chaplain, to transform themselves into a mature domestic Church.

“If the members of the domestic Church are mature and can dispense equal love, friendship and unity to each other, they can lead the family to happiness and peace, and they can become important characters in society.”

Sudhir Kumar Mitra, 71, a Catholic from southern Barisal district, who attended the seminar, said many at the conference endorsed the call.

“I think that if the family members lead a life of Christian values, the image of the whole Christian community will greatly improve.”

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