The KCBC commission for family tries to promote and support marriage and family life at different stages, and at all levels, in all its aspects. It is mainly done at the centre level by coordinating, networking, encouraging, and supporting the diocesan Family Apostolates. According to its statues, given and promulgated on 15th august 1997, its aim and objective, i.e. Vision and mission, is to promote whatever would contribute for the renewal and enrichment of family life:
- To foster spiritual development and total well- being of the families
- To promote respect for life in all its forms and stages
- To study, plan and implement family welfare programmes in collaboration with the Government and other voluntary agencies
- To publish books and periodicals
- To co-ordinate, guide and help the family renewal activities in the Dioceses
Set up
The Catholic Church in Kerala with the three individual churches and 31 dioceses is divided into five geographical zones for effective functioning. They are
Thiruvananthapuram zone : Thiruvanthapuram Malankara Major Archdiocese, Latin Archdiocese, Neyyattinkara, Punalur, Kollam, Mavelikkara and Pathanamthitta
Kottayam zone: Thiruvalla, Changanachery, Kottayam, Vijayapuram, Alappuzha, Kanjirappally and Pala
Ernakulum zone: Varappuzha, Kochi, Ernakulum, Angamaly, Kothamangalam, Muvattupuzha and Idukki; Thrissur zone: Thrissur, Irinjalakkuda, Kottapupuram, Sultanpet, and Palakkad
Malabar zone: Kozhikode, Thamarassery, Mananthavady, Thalassery, Kannur, Bathery and Malabar region of Kottayam diocese.
The central office bearers:
The state office bearers includes the three Bishops: The commission chairman,(Bishop Mar Sebastian Adayanthrath), Vice chairmen (Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal, Bishop Philipose Mar Stephanos) the secretary(Fr. Paul Madassery), the joint secretaries (Fr .Joseph venmanath, Fr. Antony John Puliparambil, Fr. Joseph Kollakompil) and the treasure (Mr. Augustine Tiruvalla), representing the three individual churches in Kerala.
The executive committee
The executive committee is composed of the state office bearers plus the elected 4 representatives (one priest from among the directors, one sister, one layman, and one lay woman) elected from each of the five zones.
The General Assembly
The general assembly of the KCBC family commission is constituted with the director, sister animator, one layman and one lay woman elected from each of the 31 diocese and the central office bearers.
State- level activities:
It is through the diocesan family apostolate department that the KCBC family commission reaches and carries out its mission in the diocese. At the state level the commission tries to co- ordinate the activities of the family apostolate in the various dioceses:
- Provide occasion to share the activities of the different dioceses for mutual benefit
- Organize seminars for resource persons and leaders from the diocese
- Co-ordinate prolife activities
- Promote and support all the activities of the family apostolate in dioceses
- Organize single unmarried women and help them to live their vocation.
