Pala: The 43rd Bible Convention of the Pala Diocese will be held from Friday, December 19 to Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at the St Thomas College ground in Pala. The five day spiritual gathering is being organised as part of the immediate preparation for Christmas and also marks the diocesan level launch of the Syro Malabar Church’s community strengthening year.
Described as the diocese’s family convention, the event is expected to bring together faithful from all parishes, making it the largest annual spiritual gathering of the diocese. The convention aims to deepen faith, strengthen unity within the Church community and respond to present social and spiritual challenges faced by families.
The convention will be led by Fr Dominic Valanmanal, director of the Anakkara Marian Retreat Centre. Each day’s programme will begin at 3.30 pm with the rosary, followed by Holy Mass at 4 pm, proclamation of the Word, and will conclude at 9 pm with Eucharistic adoration. Confession facilities will be available on all days from December 20 onwards.
The convention will be inaugurated on Friday, December 19, at 5 pm by Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop Emeritus of the Syro Malabar Church. The diocesan bishop, Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, will deliver the blessing address. Senior priests of the diocese, including the protosyncellus and vicar generals, will celebrate the Eucharist and offer messages on different days. The concluding message on December 23 will be delivered by Theodosius Mar Thoma, the head of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church.
In preparation for the event, a massive temporary pavilion has been completed at the venue. Spread across nearly one lakh square feet, the pandal can accommodate around thirty thousand people with seating arrangements. A five thousand square feet stage has been set up for liturgical and spiritual services. Modern sound and lighting systems, including a high capacity audio setup, have been installed to ensure clear visibility and audibility from all parts of the ground.
Medical aid facilities, wheelchairs and ambulance services will be available for the elderly and the sick. Stalls run by various devotional organisations will offer spiritual books and religious items. Confession arrangements have been made at the nearby St Thomas College auditorium.
Several committees including publicity, reception, finance, vigilance, pandal, accommodation, liturgy, food, traffic, volunteers, stage management, lighting and sound, drinking water, intercessory prayer and confession are working together to ensure the smooth conduct of the convention.
The Bible Convention also highlights the vision of the Syro Malabar Church’s community strengthening year, which focuses on addressing the spiritual, social, cultural and economic realities of the faithful through awareness, practical action and long term initiatives aimed at building a strong and vibrant Church community.