MSW Common News

Prepared by: Dr. Gracy Fernandez & Dr. Perpetua Machado

Within the Diocese of Karwar, a need-based assessment was carried out to evaluate the pastoral initiatives, spiritual requirements, and socioeconomic circumstances necessary for the community's overall development. Dr. Gracy Fernandez and Dr. Perpetua Machado led this initiative, which sought to address major issues brought up by the diocese's leadership, particularly Bishops, who wished to comprehend the people's everyday lives, rebuild and strengthen their religious life, and investigate new pastoral and developmental projects.

Three distinct objectives were in consideration when designing the survey:
Gaining insight into the pastoral, spiritual, and socioeconomic realities that the diocese's residents experience while concentrating on both urban and rural issues is the goal of "Understanding Ground Realities."

Enhancing Relationships between the Church and the People; To evaluate the community's spiritual well-being and find strategies for strengthening and reviving their faith.

Examining Socioeconomic and Pastoral Initiatives; to determine and put into action pastoral care and socioeconomic development initiatives that would address the diocese's needs in the areas of social welfare, housing, health, and education.

In order to collect detailed information, the survey targeted important groups inside the diocese:
Diocesan Priests: A survey was conducted among 110 priests in the diocese to ascertain their viewpoint regarding the pastoral and spiritual need of the community.
Religious Priests: Thirty religious priests shared their perspectives on the unique ministries and difficulties they face.

Religious Sisters: Information on their responsibilities in social service, healthcare, and education was gathered through a poll of fifty sisters.
Commissions: In order to identify the diocese's operational strengths and weaknesses, 22 commission directors and coordinators—including those in charge of housing, health care, and education—participated.

Pastoral Council: The pastoral council offered feedback on how parish services are fulfilling the needs of the populace. It was composed of representatives from hospitals, schools, and parish communities located in rural areas.

Parishioners: In order to better understand the spiritual and socioeconomic needs of the 10% of the about 10,000 parishioners from 72 parishes, a survey was conducted.

Urban and Rural-Based Organizations: In order to ascertain the support necessary for their continuous operation and expansion, urban organizations such as schools and hospitals as well as rural initiatives like self-help groups and community outreach programs were evaluated.

Youth volunteers from Karwar who had received training in conducting interviews and methodically entering data were responsible for administering the questionnaire that was used to gather the data. This methodology guaranteed the survey's impartiality, objectivity, and ethics while delivering trustworthy data for analysis. In addition to questions on faith and other socioeconomic factors, the questionnaire asked questions about age, gender, and other spiritual requirements of the community. After that, the information was classified and subjected to cross-analysis in order to meet the survey's goals, which included contrasting the experiences of religious men and women within the diocese. The crucial aspects were investigated in the survey which includes, Faith Life, Assessing the present state of religious participation and pinpointing areas in which pastoral care is required to strengthen the spiritual life of the community. Socio-Economic Conditions, Evaluating financial difficulties including unemployment, poverty, and access to essential services like healthcare and education. Pastoral needs include determining which services are most important to rebuild faith, particularly in communities where the church serves as the hub of social life. Organizational Effectiveness, Assessing how well pastoral councils and diocesan commissions are able to provide the people with the essential services. The diocese's future pastoral and socioeconomic plans will be greatly influenced by the survey's results. The thorough documentation of requirements and problems will facilitate the planning and execution of tangible measures that cater to the material and spiritual welfare of the Karwar community. Through this procedure, the diocese will be able to guarantee that its initiatives are not only efficient and humane, but also focused on meeting the most urgent needs.

The Diocese of Karwar's need-based study has given important new light on the socioeconomic, pastoral, and spiritual needs of the people living there. The information acquired will help the diocese better serve its citizens by directing future development initiatives. This research's methodical and scientific approach guarantees that the findings are both objective and useful, supporting the diocese's goal of providing its people with complete care and compassion.