Telugu Bishops Encouraged to Promote ‘The Chosen Encounter’ in Dioceses

Hyderabad, March 5, 2026: A proposal to expand faith formation initiatives through the widely acclaimed television series The Chosen was presented to members of the Telugu Catholic Bishops’ Council (TCBC) during their meeting held on March 4 at St. John’s Regional Seminary in Hyderabad.

Mr. Ajin Joseph, Catholic Engagement Manager for the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), addressed the gathering of bishops and introduced a pastoral initiative aimed at organising The Chosen Encounter and Tell Everyone sessions across dioceses in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

During his presentation, Joseph underlined the growing role of digital media in contemporary pastoral ministry. He described The Chosen as a powerful resource for faith formation, capable of helping parishes engage the faithful more deeply with the life and teachings of Jesus while fostering renewed enthusiasm for faith formation within communities.

The bishops present welcomed the proposal and expressed interest in the initiative, noting that creative and accessible media can be an effective tool for reaching people, particularly younger audiences. Poola Antony, Archbishop of Hyderabad, encouraged the bishops to host The Chosen Encounter and Tell Everyone sessions in their respective dioceses as a way of strengthening parish-level engagement with the Gospel.

Joseph also highlighted the importance of mobilising large numbers of faithful for the theatrical release of the Crucifixion episode of The Chosen, which is expected to be screened in PVR Cinemas across India in early 2027.

The session was attended by Raju Alex, Deputy Secretary of the TCBC, who has been actively promoting The Chosen series in churches across India, and Mr. Prasanth Merugu, TCBC coordinator for integrating the series within parish pastoral activities.

Joseph also briefly introduced the upcoming India’s March for Life, scheduled to be held in Hyderabad on August 9, 2027. The interaction reflected a growing interest among Church leaders in adopting creative initiatives to deepen faith engagement and faith formation within dioceses.

By Catholic Connect Reporter