Guwahati (AsiaNews) - The Bishops' Conference of the North East of India’s North Eastern Education Commission (NEEC) has urged all Catholic schools in the region (Assam) to give due importance to spiritual formation and to accept the applications of all Catholic students the neighborhood.

Sister Elizabeth George, joint NEEC secretary, said: "Faith formation and spiritual formation in schools should have a place of prime importance. This would imply creating space for catechetical instruction in every Catholic school".

"We live in times of rapid economic and social change - added the nun -, which impact the lifestyle and even the faith dimension of the people. We are at the same time privileged to have in our hands a powerful tool, that of Catholic education with its inherent values and its spiritual and pastoral dimension. By its very identity, the Catholic school is a place of ecclesial experience providing the students an environment which favours their Christian formation".

As Sister George explaines, the NEEC conducts training courses for educators of faith, particularly for the benefit of Catholic schools: "We invite everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to train teachers for faith education, and make them effective messengers of Christian values".

Father V. M. Thomas, NEEC secretary, argues that Catholic schools, in particular, afford the opportunity to meet young people in an environment which favours their Christian formation. He added: "It is from its Catholic identity that the schools derives its original characteristics and its structure as genuine instruments of the Church, a place of real and specific pastoral ministry".

The effort to focus on faith formation is to allow the formation of effective faith and active participation in the sacraments, as well as allowing young Catholics to live a transformed and committed life by choice. This would train young people and religious leaders that testify to their faith in the Church and the world.

Fr. Thomas concludes: "All our students live a personalized faith in God and with mutual respect, celebrate cultural and religious diversity. We are motivating the students to stand for truth, justice, peace and probity to build a new India".