Franciscan Seminar in Raipur Explores Contemplation, Mysticism and Simple Living

Raipur, September 21, 2026: A three-day seminar on Franciscan contemplation and mysticism brought together 57 priests and religious at the Bishop Philip Ekka Pastoral Centre in Raipur from September 18 to 20, inviting participants to deepen their understanding of the spirituality of St Francis of Assisi.

The seminar was jointly organised by the Chhattisgarh Conference of Religious India (CRI) and the CCBI Commission for Vocations, Seminarians, Clergy and Religious (VSCR), Chhattisgarh. It was led by Fr Jose Peter Ponnore OFM Cap., who heads a Capuchin team involved in conducting Franciscan contemplative retreats.

The programme focused on the contemplative dimension of St Francis’ life and his call to a lifestyle marked by simplicity, poverty, fraternity and closeness to nature. Participants were encouraged to examine how these values could be lived more authentically in contemporary society.

The seminar also reflected on the challenge of maintaining human connectedness in an increasingly technology-driven world shaped by artificial intelligence. Participants were encouraged to cultivate greater interiority and nurture a deeper relationship with God.

Those attending included members of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Franciscan Sisters of Dillingen, Medical Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, JMJ, SMMI, FMCK and FCC. Priests belonging to the Order of Friars Minor and the Pallottine Society also participated.

Bishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur, chairman of the CCBI Commission for VSCR in Chhattisgarh, delivered the valedictory address. He urged participants to translate the insights gained during the seminar into their daily lives, particularly as the Church marks the 800th anniversary celebrations associated with St Francis of Assisi.

The bishop also called for a simple and environmentally responsible way of life. He thanked Sr Diana Chettoor SCSC, president of Chhattisgarh CRI, and Fr John Ponnore, regional secretary of VSCR, Chhattisgarh, for organising the programme.

The seminar sought to renew the participants’ commitment to Franciscan values and encourage a deeper spiritual life amid what organisers described as a world increasingly searching for meaning, authentic relationships and inner depth.

By Fr. John Ponnore, RDS, Chhattisgarh