Diocese of Dindigul. Tamil Nadu. India

Message of the Month
July 2026

From Saint Thomas to Our Grandchildren: Passing on the Treasure of Faith

My dear Fathers, Religious, Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Every generation receives the Gospel as a gift and is called to hand it on as a mission. The month of July invites us to reflect on this sacred responsibility of transmitting faith – from the Apostles to the Church, from grandparents to grandchildren, from parents to children, and from believers today to the generations yet to come.

Saint Thomas: The Apostle Who Passed the Faith to India

We begin the month with the Solemnity of Saint Thomas the Apostle on 3 July. For us, this is more than the remembrance of an Apostle; it is the celebration of our spiritual roots.

Thomas encountered the Risen Lord and professed with conviction, “My Lord and my God.” Having discovered Christ, he did not keep the treasure for himself. According to the ancient tradition of our Church, he crossed seas and cultures to bring the Gospel to India. Because one Apostle was willing to go beyond familiar boundaries, countless generations came to know Christ.

The Church exists today because faith was transmitted from one person to another. The greatest gift we can leave to future generations is not wealth, education, or status, but faith in Jesus Christ.

The question before us is simple: Are we passing on the faith as faithfully as Saint Thomas did?

Grandparents and the Elderly: Guardians of Memory

This question becomes especially relevant as we celebrate the Sixth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, observed on 26 July 2026, on the Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. The theme that Pope Leo XIV has proposed for the celebration is “I will never forget you (Isa 49:15).”

The elderly are the custodians of memory. They remember the sacrifices that built families, the struggles that shaped communities, and the faith that sustained them through difficult times. Their stories teach lessons that no textbook can provide.

Many of us learned our first prayers from grandparents. Many discovered devotion, kindness, and perseverance by watching elderly family members live their faith. They are not simply witnesses to the past; they are guides for the future.

I encourage every family in our Diocese to spend time with elderly relatives, especially those who live alone, struggle with illness, or feel forgotten. The most precious gift we can offer them is not material assistance alone, but our presence, affection, and attention.

Ten Years of Amoris Laetitia: A Family That Listens Across Generations

This year marks ten years since Pope Francis gifted the Church with Amoris Laetitia. One of its enduring insights is that family life flourishes when generations remain connected.

The modern world often separates young and old. Yet the Christian family is strongest when wisdom and energy meet, when memory and hope converse, and when grandparents, parents, and children walk together.

A family becomes truly Christian when faith is shared around the dining table, when stories are told, when prayer is offered together, and when the elderly are treated not as dependents but as treasured members of the household.

As we commemorate this anniversary, let us renew our commitment to making our homes schools of faith, dialogue, and mutual care.

Magnifica Humanitas: A New Challenge for the Transmission of Faith

This concern for future generations takes on new urgency in light of Magnifica Humanitas, the first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV.

The Holy Father draws attention to the profound changes brought about by artificial intelligence. While technology offers remarkable possibilities, it also raises important questions. How do we teach truth in a world flooded with information? How do we form conscience when machines increasingly influence decisions? How do we preserve authentic human relationships in an age of digital interaction?

Artificial intelligence can store information, but it cannot transmit wisdom. It can generate content, but it cannot cultivate virtue. It can simulate conversation, but it cannot replace love.

The responsibility for forming hearts and minds remains with families, schools, parishes, and communities of faith. The future of humanity will depend not only on technological advancement but also on moral and spiritual formation.

For this reason, we must ensure that technology serves the human person and never replaces the relationships through which faith, values, and wisdom are handed on.

Looking Forward with Hope

Saint Thomas carried the Gospel across continents. Grandparents carry memories across generations. Families carry values across time. The Church carries Christ into every age.

May this month inspire us to become faithful transmitters of the Gospel. Let us learn from Saint Thomas the courage to witness, from Joachim and Anne the patience to nurture, from our elderly the wisdom to remember, and from Pope Leo XIV the responsibility to safeguard human dignity in a rapidly changing world.

May our Diocese become a community where faith is not merely preserved but joyfully shared from generation to generation.

With blessings and prayers,

+ Most Rev P. Thomas Paulsamy

Bishop of Dindigul