NEW DELHI, May 1 -- The Indian Church has about 1,30,000 consecrated persons, diocesan priests and religious women and men together, while the RSS has only 2,500 full-time Pracharaks. The late Fr. Varghese Alengaden used to ask, "What is the impact of 1.3 lakh fully dedicated persons, who provide 24x7 free service to the Church, on the Indian society and how are they influencing the people of India?" If they are not producing "lasting fruits" in proportion to their number, the reason could be their failure to understand the significance of their call, vision and mission as "prophets to the nations."

The call of a consecrated person is to become a prophet to the nations. "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you w...