Department of Catechesis
The Centre for Catechesis is known as Suvara. It coordinates all the children’s faith formation activities in the Eparchy. This department is headed by the director, who is assisted by a team of priests, religious, and laypeople. The Eparchy is divided into thirteen catechetical Foranes, each guided by a priest director (Forane Director) assisted by a Forane secretary and a team of faith formators (Catechism teachers). There are regular religious instruction and faith formation programmes every Sunday for children between the ages of 4 and 17.
“നിത്യജീവനിലുള്ള പ്രത്യാശ”
Uthanothsavam: an integral and intensive 5-day formation for catechetical students during Catechists ’ Convention with various Teachers.
BTC & CTC Course: Catechists’ Training Course
HDC: Teachers’ Diploma Course
Teachers’ Seminar: A one-day seminar based on the year’s theme.
Teachers’ Quiz based on specific topics.
Lifeline: A two-day orientation programme for the children of Std VIII.
Director Suvara:
Rev. Dr. Thomas Valanmanal
Office Secretary:
Sr. Vandana CMC
Regent:
Br. Shijin Kambiyakath
CML office staff & online assistance:
Mrs. Jessy Jiji
Office Assistant:
Mr. Johnson Paul
Pastoral Centre, PB No 22
Kanjirapally – 686507
+91 8547547317
+91 4828 205666
YouTube Channel: SUVARA EPARCHY OF KANJIRAPALLY
Facebook Page: Suvara Catechism Kanjirapally
Hope in eternal life is at the heart of Christian faith, shaping the believer’s eschatological expectation and present way of life. Rooted in the salvific mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection, this hope is not a mere psychological optimism but a theological virtue, divinely infused by the Holy Spirit, orienting the believer toward communion with God in the fullness of time.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) affirms: “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises” (CCC 1817). This desire flows not from human wishful thinking but from the certainty of God’s fidelity. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the definitive pledge of this promise. As St. Paul testifies, “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” (Romans 6:8). This hope is not passive; it actively transforms the believer’s earthly journey, urging them to live in holiness, justice, and love.
The early Church Fathers consistently highlighted the hope of eternal life as a cornerstone of Christian identity. St. Irenaeus declared, “The glory of God is man fully alive; and the life of man consists in beholding God.” This vision is not fully realised but consummated in eternal communion with the Triune God. Likewise, St. Gregory of Nyssa portrayed eternal life not as static rest but as an endless progression into the depths of divine love, an ever-unfolding participation in God’s infinite being.
Hope in eternal life also provides an anchor amidst suffering. In a fragmented, often despairing world, the Christian vision of eternity calls the faithful to persevere confidently. The Letter to the Hebrews proclaims, “We have this hope as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19). This hope relativises earthly trials and reorients the soul toward the ultimate goal — beatific union with God.
This eschatological hope does not detach the believer from the present world but compels them to transform it. As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in Spe Salvi, “A world without God is a world without hope.” But when infused with the Christian vision of eternity, life becomes a sacred journey filled with meaning, responsibility, and grace. The expectation of eternal life impels the Church to work for justice, peace, and human dignity, because what we sow here is brought to fruition in eternity.
In the Syro-Malabar liturgical tradition, this hope is deeply woven into the Qurbana. The anamnesis proclaims our faith in the second coming of Christ and our hope to stand at His right hand. This liturgical expression forms the faithful to live eucharistically — in thanksgiving and anticipation of the heavenly banquet.
Thus, hope in eternal life is not merely a doctrine to be believed but a lived reality. It transforms suffering into sacrifice, mortality into meaning, and life into a pilgrimage toward the eternal embrace of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In this hope, we are saved (Romans 8:24), and in this hope, we walk — not by sight, but by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7).
