VATICAN CITY, 29 SEP 2009 (VIS) - "The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word" is the theme of the Pope's Message for the next World Day of Social Communications which is celebrated every year on 24 January, Feast of St. Francis of Sales, patron saint of journalists.
A communique made public today explains that the aim of the Message is "to invite priests in particular, during this Year for Priests and in the wake of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, to consider the new communications media as a possible resource for their ministry at the service of the Word. Likewise, it aims to encourage them to face the challenges arising from the new digital culture".
The text continues: "The new communications media, if adequately understood and exploited, can offer priests and all pastoral care workers a wealth of data which was difficult to access before, and facilitate forms of collaboration and increased communion that were previously unthinkable".
The communique concludes by noting that "if wisely used, with the help of experts in technology and the communications culture, the new media can become - for priests and for all pastoral care workers - a valid and effective instrument for authentic and profound evangelisation and communion".
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Hi! I'd like to inform you about a unique Web site dedicated to the Roman Catholic priesthood. It's http://catholicpriest.me.uk/ , a site run BY teenagers FOR teenagers. Our Web site highlights stories from around the world of young men seriously considering entering the priesthood. We encourage new vocations by offering a resource and FAQ page, which address the common concerns teens have about growing a vocation. Our approach to vocations is just that: a process involving growth. Teens become more mature when they learn about a possible future for themselves, a future that may involve a fuller participation in the Church. That's why we provide a page dedicated to Religious Orders and even a forum where individuals can discuss problems and help others with the Call. Most importantly, however, we encourage new vocations by inviting others to talk about their own. We regularly post vocation stories on an Our Stories section. As a Web site, we receive 700 hits per day and welcome visitors from various countries. The site began as a small project between two teens considering the priesthood in December 2008. Although hosted in the UK, our Web site's core team has members from the U.S., Canada, and other regions. Now it has blossomed into a site that's ready to expand in the spirit of Pope Benedict XVI's message on World Communications Day to "bear witness to your faith through the digital world! Employ these new technologies to make the Gospel known, so that the Good News of God's infinite love for all people, will resound in new ways across our increasingly technological world!"
The Web site Catholic Culture says that our site "is attractive and a good place for young men considering the priesthood to visit." We hope to spread our message that it's ok for teens to consider their vocation to the priesthood by working with your Web site. We'd like to ask you to, if possible, place a review of our site and offer our link as well. As teens, we have limited resources, but we will always trust in God to help us evangelize.
Thank you for taking the time to read our message and please feel free to contact me, the Press and Publicity Manager on the core team, at jeremy@catholicpriest.me.uk or prinzjeremydelacruz@yahoo.com
- Jeremy Dela Cruz
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