Bangalore, September 10, 2024: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) launched a set of 115 school textbooks along with electives/non-core curriculum books for CBSE and ICSE schools at an event, held at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, on September 10, 2024. The textbooks were officially unveiled by Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the CCBI, in the presence of 40 bishops attending the CCBI Executive Committee meeting, along with educationists, major superiors, secretaries of the CCBI Commissions and other dignitaries.
The meeting was presided over by Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa and Daman and was marked by speeches from several prominent ecclesial figures, including Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Anthony Poola, Archbishop of Hyderabad, Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore and Archbishop Elias Gonsalves of Nagpur.
Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara, Deputy Secretary General of the CCBI, welcomed the gathering, while Mr. Nigel Fernandes, CEO of Arclight Global, gave the vote of thanks.
“Education is a primary mission of the Church in India. With numerous schools across the country, we are committed to providing quality education to future generations. This new series of textbooks will further strengthen our education apostolate,” said Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias praised the initiative, congratulating those involved in the monumental task of publishing the textbook series for Catholic schools. Archbishop Peter Machado emphasized the Church’s responsibility in shaping future citizens who uphold both human and constitutional values, referring to the CCBI’s value education textbooks, launched in 2022, as an essential tool in this mission.
The textbooks were published by Arclight Global, the CCBI’s publishing arm, which was established in 2022. This launch marks a significant step forward in the Church’s efforts to enhance educational resources in its schools across India.
By Dr. Stephen Alathara