Media Release

Canacona, Aug 30: The Karnataka-Goa Province of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, in collaboration with the Diocesan Centre for Biblical Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, organized a Bible Symposium on the theme ‘Biblical Text in Its Context in the Digital and AI Age'.

The symposium was held at the Divine Springs Retreat Centre, Xellim, Loliem, Canacona, Goa, from August 27 to 29. The symposium was organized to mark the jubilee year 2025 as well as the Centenary of the Canonization of St Therese of the Child Jesus.

“Bible is a Light for Our Path” – Bishop Simiao Fernandes

The symposium was inaugurated by Bishop Simiao Fernandes, Auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, and chairman of the Western Region CCBI Bible Commission. Joining him for the inauguration were Dr Pius James D’Souza OCD, definitor general of the Order of Discalced Carmelites; Dr Richard D’Souza OCD, coordinator of the Symposium; Dr Alphonse Britto OCD, provincial councilor for Spirituality; Fr Rovel D’Souza, superior of the Divine Springs Retreat Centre; and Dr Gregory D’Souza OCD.

Together, they lit the traditional lamp to mark the inauguration of the symposium.

Delivering his inaugural address, Bishop Simiao reminded participants: “Bible is a light for our path. We need to fall in love with the Bible and make use of it in our daily life.” He appealed to everyone to make the Bible “a bread for their daily use.” Through practical examples, the bishop also reflected on the guidelines for the interpretation of the Bible.

On this occasion, the Divine Springs Retreat Centre, Xellim, Loliem, felicitated Bishop Simiao Fernandes on his first visit to the community after his Episcopal Ordination.

Objectives of the symposium

The Bible symposium was designed with multiple objectives:

To enable young priests to proclaim the word with greater depth and clarity in pastoral settings.
To equip participants with essential tools for preaching and catechesis, especially those without advanced specialization.
To train clergy in the use of Bible software, AI tools, and online research resources for study and ministry.
To demonstrate how digital and theological tools can be applied in homilies, catechesis, retreats, and formation work.
To reintroduce the scriptural insights of the Church Fathers into contemporary preaching and teaching.
To encourage and guide those interested in pursuing further studies in biblical theology or exegesis.

Sessions and workshops

The symposium featured a rich blend of conferences and workshops on diverse themes such as:

Know the text and its context before you teach or preach
Torah – Nevi’im – Ketuvim: The three pillars of the Hebrew Bible
The Pentateuch and its central theological themes
Nevi’im as bread from heaven above
Ketuvim as water from the rock below
The four gospels and the stages of Christian maturity
“From the upper room to every home” – Rekindling the spirit of acts in religious and parish communities
“All things to all people”: St Paul’s Blueprint for priests in a digital and divided world
Typological (Antiochian) and Allegorical (Alexandrian) interpretation of the Bible
Integrating the Church fathers into homiletics and catechetics
Practical sessions provided hands-on training with biblical and digital tools, including:
Navigating online resources (ACADEMIA, ALTA, BILDI, EBSCO, JSTOR, Open Access databases)
Exploring AI tools for Bible study and research (BibleGPT, HyperWrite, Biblia Savant, Bible Tutor, Scripture Canvas, Bible Explorer)
Introducing renowned Bible software (Libronix, BibleWorks, Verbum, Accordance)
Using core biblical tools (Concordances, Lexicons, TDOT, TDNT, Bible Dictionaries)
Studying top-rated Bible commentaries
Free installation and training on Libronix and BibleWorks

Resource persons

The panel of distinguished resource persons included:
Dr Pius James D’Souza OCD, definitor general of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, Rome
Dr Richard Francis D’Souza OCD, professor at the Teresianum, Rome
Fr Mariano D’Costa, director of the Diocesan Centre for Biblical Apostolate, Archdiocese of Goa and Daman
Dr Patrick Mathias SDB, secretary of the CCBI Bible Commission, Bengaluru
Dr Vincent Sequeira, commission for Bible, Diocese of Mangalore
Fr Macson Fernandes, secretary, Western Region CCBI Bible Commission and professor at the Patriarchal Seminary of Rachol, Goa
Dr Yesu Karunanidhi, head of programmes, Centre of Biblical Formation, Jerusalem
Dr Biju Joseph Karukappallil CMI, professor at Dharmaram, Bengaluru
Dr Darbello Christus, professor, Trivandrum

Concluding Eucharistic celebration

The symposium concluded with a solemn Eucharistic celebration, presided over by Fr Silvestre D’Souza OCD, provincial superior of the Karnataka-Goa Province of the Order of Discalced Carmelites.

In his homily, Fr Silvestre highlighted the unique role of St John the Baptist. Reflecting further, he said that St John fearlessly proclaimed repentance and prepared the way for the Messiah. Fr Silvestre explained, lay not only in his preaching but also in his humility and willingness to decrease so that Christ might increase. He concluded with a challenge to the faithful: Christian witness must be lived both in words and in silence, through the integrity of one’s life.

Fr Silvestre also congratulated and appreciated the organizers of the symposium and expressed his happiness over its success.

Fr Rovel D’Souza, superior of the Divine Springs Retreat Centre, Xellim, Loliem, welcomed the dignitaries and participants at the start of the event and, on the final day, offered heartfelt thanks to all who had contributed to the symposium.