ABOUT US
HISTORY OF NVSC
The National Vocation Service Centre was born out of an ecclesial event of the All India Church Seminar in 1969, held in Bangalore with the intention of appropriating for the Catholic Community in India, the fruits of the New Pentecost that characterized Vatican II. As the saintly Pope John XXIII took a prophetic stand to convoke the Second Vatican Council, likewise another great visionary of our times, the late Fr. Engelbert Zeitler, SVD took the bold initiative to start NVSC as a centre for INSPIRATION, COORDINATION AND ASSISTANCE in the ministry of Vocation Promotion.
In January 1966 when he was the President of CRI, Fr. Zeitler held an exploratory meeting in Bangalore and drew up a policy for a Joint Commission of CBCI and CRI. A need was felt to have a National Secretariat to coordinate the Vocation Ministry of each diocese and congregation. A National Survey on Vocations highlighting the problem of personnel and resources of Indian Church was conducted and an orientation paper on this Survey was presented at the All India Seminar mentioned above. A proposal to establish the National Vocation Service Centre was made and the centre was inaugurated in Pune on 1st August 1969. It was given the two fold mandate:
1. To act as the Secretariat for the CBCI-CRI joint Commission for vocation promotion 2. To be the National Service Centre for the ministry of Vocations in the Country.
The centre had a bumble beginning in a portioned classroom of the Divine Word Seminary. From here it took up the nebulous task of inspiring, coordinating and assisting the activities of the Church all over India with regard to the ministry of Vocation Promotion. At this time 13 Regional Vocation Service Centres were established all over. The work undertaken by NVSC was to compile a list of Vocation Promoters in the country, sending out questionnaire regarding the progress of Vocation Promotion, compiling data and obtaining the feedback.
In the first phase of its history NVSC conducted a series of training courses for Vocation Promoters both at the centre in Pune and in other regions of the country. It also undertook the task of making scientific surveys to assess the ground reality of vocations to priesthood and consecrated life in India. A Documentation Department was created in the centre for consultation and research on Vocation Promotion.
In the second phase (in late seventies and eighties) NVSC helped the Vocation Promoters equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed for their ministry. Residential courses on Transformation Towards Wholeness and Training to be a Counsellor were conducted regularly in the centre with six months and four months duration respectively.
From 1998 onwards NVSC entered the third phase by becoming a full fledge Academic Institute offering the year-long Diploma Programme in Counselling Psychology and Integral Formation. The Diploma programme, which began in July 1998, is designed specifically for those who serve in helping ministry as teachers, social workers, health workers, community leaders, counsellors etc. to enhance their confidence and skills.
NVSC OFFERS:
1. Diploma in Counselling Psychology and Integral Formation
2. Short Courses on:
a. Therapeutic Journey to Healing and Wholeness
b. Training For Skills In Guidance and Counselling
3. Asian Journal of Vocation and Formation (Published twice a year)