Bihar Bible Festival Brings 150 Children Together to Learn Scripture and Serve Like St. Francis

Around 150 children, Bible animators and diocesan directors from five dioceses in the eastern Indian state of Bihar gathered for a four-day Bible festival, encouraging young Catholics to deepen their knowledge of Scripture and translate their faith into courageous service, Catholic Connect reported.

The Bihar Regional Junior Bible Festival 2026 was held from October 17 to 20 at the Bihar Regional Pastoral Centre in Patna, the state capital, under the theme, “Happy Hero: Walking with Jesus to Love and Serve Courageously Like St. Francis of Assisi.”

Bishop James Shekhar of Buxar, chairperson of the Bible Commission of the Bihar Regional Bishops’ Council, inaugurated the festival and urged participants to make the Word of God central to their Christian lives.

“Ignoring the Bible amounts to ignoring Christ Himself,” the bishop said, encouraging the children to become Spirit-filled witnesses of Jesus in their families and communities.

The festival focused on the Book of Joshua, the Gospel of Mark and the Letter to the Philippians. Activities included poster-making and Bible speed-search competitions designed to strengthen participants’ biblical knowledge and encourage creative engagement with Scripture.

Fr. Anthony Samy, secretary of the Regional Bible Commission and director of Navjyoti Niketan in Patna, coordinated the inaugural sessions with the support of Fr. James Rosario, administrator of the pastoral center; Fr. Pranoy, IMS, director of Sadbhavna Vaishali in the Diocese of Muzaffarpur; and Fr. Amit Soren, also from the Diocese of Muzaffarpur.

Welcoming the participants, Fr. Anthony encouraged them to use their talents to celebrate and share the Word of God. He described someone who carries Scripture and rejoices in the achievements of others as a “true, great, and Happy Hero.”

The festival drew inspiration from St. Francis of Assisi, whose life of simplicity, love and service offered participants a model for putting Christian faith into practice.

Bihar, one of India's most populous states, lies in the country's east, along the border with Nepal. The gathering brought together young Catholics from five dioceses for regional faith formation centered on Scripture, fellowship and service.

The festival sought to encourage children not only to learn biblical teachings but also to live them out through love, courageous service and Christian witness in their families, parishes and wider communities