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SIGNIS: CATHOLIC MEDIA VITAL FOR ACCURATE NEWS, STORIES OF FAITH, HOPE

The president of SIGNIS urged the world’s bishops as the “chief storyteller” in their diocese to use all media at their disposal to “make known” stories “of faith and hope” and of local Catholic heroes who exemplify Christ’s love to give people courage in “difficult times,” like this current pandemic.

Catholic media outlets also can provide “basic tools” to the faithful “to spot” false stories, such the narratives about the “Chinese” virus causing the pandemic and rumours of “dangerous fake cures,” said Helen Osman, who heads SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communication, based in Brussels. She made the comments in a statement issued ahead of World Communications Day, which is celebrated this Sunday (24th May).

Pope Francis’ message for this year’s World Communications Day is: “That you may tell your children and grandchildren” (Ex 10:2): Life becomes history.”

The pope “reminds us of the importance of the stories we tell, especially in the midst of the din of media that leave us feeling dislocated,” Osman said. “The narratives that we live by must reflect the vision of the interconnectedness of all human life.”

She continued, “The pope reminds us that the Holy Spirit writes the story of God’s love on the human heart.”

“Many of the stories that relate to the experience of people today are told in secular media, printed and otherwise. In some cultures, the role of traditional storytellers serves the same role,” Osman said. “In all cases, their power derives from their affirmation of deeper truths of the human condition, especially the enduring strength of love.”

“How do you offer guidance to your people to see and reflect on the truth where it may be found in the media, arts, and in local traditions, perhaps in places they may not expect it?” she asked the bishops.

Osman acknowledged many dioceses already have “robust plans to celebrate World Communications Day,” but hoped the questions she raised “may further enhance these initiatives.”

She said SIGNIS has resources at its website to help with diocesan celebrations, www.signis.net, and also urged bishops to look at how their diocese might collaborate with local organisations and educational institutions that foster media literacy.

These organisations “share with the Church the desire to embrace the truth that sets us free,” Osman added.

SIGNIS Media. Radio Desk meets in Rome

“Catholic media have a particular responsibility tied to their work. That responsibility means that no one should be left out. This is important, and it is part of the reason why Pope Francis often speaks about the Church on the periphery. Radio is not ‘old media’. In my opinion, radio is also media for the future. Consider the fact that new ways of using or listening to radio are constantly coming up. Take the podcast phenomenon. Podcasts are proving to be a new way of listening to the radio. Radio still has that unique possibility of enabling the sharing of good stories – quickly and in real-time. When I speak of good news or good stories, I do not speak about an artificial reality. Good stories may or may not be dramatic. Yet they can be told in such a way that it is possible to see the faces of people, hear their voices unfiltered and listen to them articulate their own testimonies.”

Doctor Andrea Tornielli, the Editorial Director of Vatican Media, addressed these words to a group of international Catholic radio practitioners as they began their meeting in Rome recently under the auspices of the re-launched SIGNIS Radio Desk.

An intense but fruitful three days of exchange

The SIGNIS Radio Desk team met for three days at the Domus Internationalis Paulus VI in Rome. The purpose was to plan strategies to open up membership to broader participation, enabling members from all continents to share programmes, ideas and also to learn from each other. Also present at the opening session of the meeting was Dr Alessandro Gisotti, the former Interim Director of the Vatican Press Office and now Deputy Editorial Director of Vatican Media.

The Vatican Widget

Both Doctors Tornielli and Gisotti urged participants to collaborate and support Vatican communications initiatives. In particular, they requested the support of SIGNIS in the promotion and use of the Vatican Widget, an application already available, designed to provide live content updates from the Vatican to diocesan or national websites. (To embed the widget on your website – episcopal conference, diocesan, parish, radio, TV – kindly contact  widgets@ vatican.va with your request).

Research in Catholic radio and other media

Some recommendations from the meeting included opening up the Radio Desk team to more members across the globe, especially those working in Catholic media; carrying out and promoting research in Catholic radio and media around the world. The research findings will then be made available on the SIGNIS website and social media. Other initiatives to be undertaken are encouraging the formation and training in the medium of radio as a tool for evangelisation around the world.

A SIGNIS radio encounter in Sri Lanka, October 2020

It was also agreed that an international radio encounter would be held in Sri Lanka, October 2020. The gathering in Sri Lanka will be an encounter bringing Asia and the world under the SIGNIS and SIGNIS-Asia Radio desks. It will be open to all those engaged with Catholic radio or media. Interested participants can receive more information on this media encounter by emailing Radio.desk@signis.net.

Share: A new catchword for the SIGNIS Radio Desk

Commenting on the meeting, Angela Morais of Brazil said she was happy that the Radio Desk had chosen as its driving force the word share. At the beginning of the meeting, the Radio Desk chose the verb “to share” as a way of symbolizing what the desk wants to achieve.

The miracle of the five loaves and two fishes in the Gospels was based on sharing. Jesus used five loaves and two fishes shared by the boy to feed a multitude. When we share, no one goes away from the table hungry.

“For the Radio Desk, the verb ‘to share’ was an aha! moment in our thinking about the world reality and the reality of radio. The more we can share edifying projects happening around the world, the better for the message the Gospel,” explained Morais.

Participants at the meeting included the SIGNIS Desk Chair, Fr. Paul Samasumo (Italy); Maria Chiara De Lorenzo (Italy) Isabel Gatti (Argentina); Fr. Andrew Kaufa (Kenya); Angela Morais (Brazil); Bernadetta Widiandayani (Indonesia); Pamela Aleman (Canada). Also in attendance were José Alberto Chavez Del Rio and Isaac Atchikiti, both of SIGNIS Services Rome.

The is article was published in SIGNIS Media. Special digital edition.

Filed Under: NL 24052020 Headline Posts Tagged With: Helen Osman, Signis media, World Communications Day

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WEDNESDAY - 20-01-2021 of the 2nd Week in Ordinary TimeST SWITHUN's CHURCH IS OPEN FOR PUBLIC CELEBRATIONS:- please keep a proper distance;- sanitize a place which was in contact of your body;- if you will come with children, please do not allow children to walk, run in the church, to avoid many any contact with other people and more places touched which will ne to be sanitize;- keep one direction way and exit the church by the deigned exits;- Please do bear this in mind: the doors must be left open for a good ventilation, so as the temperature drops in the weeks ahead it will be important to wrap-up warm;SACRAMNET OF CONFESSION FROM 9.00am to 9.25am OUR PLAN IS: (also live-streamed):6.15am - The act of consecration oneself to Jesus Christ through Mary (20/33) - in Polish;6.30am - The Holy Mass (in Polish): 17th Gregorian Mass for +Trevor Anthony Evans;9.00am - Exposition of The Blessed Sacrament;9.30am - Divine Mercy Chaplet followed by Benediction;10.00am - The Holy Mass. Intention: + Tony Allum RIP; followed by The Holy Rosary Prayer & daily devotion;12.00noon - The act of Consecration oneself to Jesus Christ through Mary (20/33) - in Polish;9.00pm - The act of consecration oneself to Jesus Christ through Mary (20/33) - in Polish;PLEASE, pray today especially for our Dear Michael, Fr Zbigniew Zybała, Waldomiro Oliveira, Anthony, Kathleen & Kevin, Jo, Maria, Mary, Joanna's Parents, Anne, Joey, Charlie, Xander, our First Communion Children, especially this week - Finlay and His Family, and for our Parish, For our ONLINE CATHOLIC SCHOOL😇🙏 ... See MoreSee Less

11 hours ago

WEDNESDAY - 20-01-2021 of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

ST SWITHUNs CHURCH IS OPEN FOR PUBLIC CELEBRATIONS:

- please keep a proper distance;
- sanitize a place which was in contact of your body;
- if you will come with children, please do not allow children to walk, run in the church, to avoid many any contact with other people and more places touched which will ne to be sanitize;
- keep one direction way and exit the church by the deigned exits;
- Please do bear this in mind: the doors must be left open for a good ventilation, so as the temperature drops in the weeks ahead it will be important to wrap-up warm;

SACRAMNET OF CONFESSION FROM 9.00am to 9.25am 

OUR PLAN IS: (also live-streamed):

6.15am - The act of consecration oneself to Jesus Christ through Mary (20/33) - in Polish;

6.30am - The Holy Mass (in Polish): 17th Gregorian Mass for +Trevor Anthony Evans;

9.00am - Exposition of The Blessed Sacrament;

9.30am - Divine Mercy Chaplet followed by Benediction;

10.00am - The Holy Mass. Intention: + Tony Allum RIP; followed by The Holy Rosary Prayer & daily devotion;

12.00noon - The act of Consecration oneself to Jesus Christ through Mary (20/33) - in Polish;

9.00pm - The act of consecration oneself to Jesus Christ through Mary (20/33) - in Polish;

PLEASE, pray today especially for our Dear Michael, Fr Zbigniew Zybała, Waldomiro Oliveira, Anthony, Kathleen & Kevin, Jo, Maria, Mary, Joannas Parents, Anne, Joey, Charlie, Xander, our First Communion Children, especially this week - Finlay and His Family, and for our Parish, For our ONLINE CATHOLIC SCHOOL😇🙏
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CHRISTIAN MORNING MEDITATION:A Man with a Withered HandJanuary 20, 2021Mark 3:1-6Again, he entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.Opening Prayer: Lord, I come before you as one who is lame. You see me—a beautiful being marked by the scars of life. I desire to see what you see and humbly rest in the certainty that you make all things new.Encountering Christ:1. A Withered Hand: When we think about the man with the withered hand, we can imagine a life spent alone, in misery, yet in need. He was an outcast because a deformed hand banned him from living a “normal” life. Years of living in a dirty cave or on the filthy streets begging for food left him a scruffy, soiled mess. If he was noticed at all by the onlookers, it was in disgust. While the Pharisees did not bring this man to the temple, they saw this man’s unfortunate circumstance as an opportunity to exalt their already self-inflated status. It seemed that they were more concerned about their reputation as “Teachers of the Law” than they were about personal holiness, because they disregarded an opportunity for charity by ignoring the need of a fellow man. How often do we find ourselves acting the same way? Do we set ourselves above the poor, the lowly, the lame?2. They Watched Him Closely: Why was this outcast, this social pariah, waiting at the synagogue where he knew he was not welcome? Surely he did not stumble upon there by happenstance. It was probable that he came week after week, seeking help from those who claimed to have the “ear” of God. The Pharisees certainly saw him, but they felt validated to avoid this man’s “impurity.” They were invested in stopping the threat that would expose their hypocritical righteousness: Christ. No man had ever exposed their hearts in the manner that Jesus so skillfully did. They should have been watching him to learn from him. Wasn’t that the reason why the man with the withered hand was there?3. “Stretch Out Your Hand”: Jesus always taught before he healed. Healing was the tangible part of his teaching. Jesus asked the man to stretch out his hand, and the hand was healed. Christ had no reason to ask the man to stretch out his hand. Healing wasn’t dependent on the man’s participation. Christ was teaching all who were present that the very thing which caused the man to be ostracized from society was a metaphoric sign of belonging. Jesus saw a man with a need, not a needy man. He welcomed the man, not the opportunity to outshine the Pharisees as “Teacher of the Law.” Conversing with Christ: Lord, thank you for teaching me the value of a soul. Help me not to measure by sight, nor to judge another based on my limited understanding, but to welcome all whom I encounter, in your name, for your glory. Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will ponder your teaching, “Should we do good? Or should we do evil? Should we save life? Or should we destroy it?” and actively respond.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-20012021 ... See MoreSee Less

11 hours ago

CHRISTIAN MORNING MEDITATION:

A Man with a Withered Hand
January 20, 2021

Mark 3:1-6

Again, he entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

Opening Prayer: Lord, I come before you as one who is lame. You see me—a beautiful being marked by the scars of life. I desire to see what you see and humbly rest in the certainty that you make all things new.

Encountering Christ:

1. A Withered Hand: When we think about the man with the withered hand, we can imagine a life spent alone, in misery, yet in need. He was an outcast because a deformed hand banned him from living a “normal” life. Years of living in a dirty cave or on the filthy streets begging for food left him a scruffy, soiled mess. If he was noticed at all by the onlookers, it was in disgust. While the Pharisees did not bring this man to the temple, they saw this man’s unfortunate circumstance as an opportunity to exalt their already self-inflated status. It seemed that they were more concerned about their reputation as “Teachers of the Law” than they were about personal holiness, because they disregarded an opportunity for charity by ignoring the need of a fellow man. How often do we find ourselves acting the same way? Do we set ourselves above the poor, the lowly, the lame?

2. They Watched Him Closely: Why was this outcast, this social pariah, waiting at the synagogue where he knew he was not welcome? Surely he did not stumble upon there by happenstance. It was probable that he came week after week, seeking help from those who claimed to have the “ear” of God. The Pharisees certainly saw him, but they felt validated to avoid this man’s “impurity.” They were invested in stopping the threat that would expose their hypocritical righteousness: Christ. No man had ever exposed their hearts in the manner that Jesus so skillfully did. They should have been watching him to learn from him. Wasn’t that the reason why the man with the withered hand was there?

3. “Stretch Out Your Hand”: Jesus always taught before he healed. Healing was the tangible part of his teaching. Jesus asked the man to stretch out his hand, and the hand was healed. Christ had no reason to ask the man to stretch out his hand. Healing wasn’t dependent on the man’s participation. Christ was teaching all who were present that the very thing which caused the man to be ostracized from society was a metaphoric sign of belonging. Jesus saw a man with a need, not a needy man. He welcomed the man, not the opportunity to outshine the Pharisees as “Teacher of the Law.” 

Conversing with Christ: Lord, thank you for teaching me the value of a soul. Help me not to measure by sight, nor to judge another based on my limited understanding, but to welcome all whom I encounter, in your name, for your glory. 

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will ponder your teaching, “Should we do good? Or should we do evil? Should we save life? Or should we destroy it?” and actively respond.

https://stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-20012021
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'A GLASS OF WINE' with Fr Marcin TUESDAY 19/01/2021 at 8.00pm ... See MoreSee Less

21 hours ago

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It was good evening. They had fun.

Good Evening everyone including Fr and hopefully Bilbo too 🐾

Good night God bless Father thank you for sharing that beautiful email.

Thank You Fr. Goodnight and God bless You. 🙏🙏🙏🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Thank you Fr Marcin for your sharing. Good night everyone and sleep well. God bless you all

Good Evening Fr Marcin and everyone who is attending this session including Bilbo

A couple of my church of England friends watch you sometimes.

Good evening Father and good evening everyone from Sylwia & Ashley 🍷🍷🍷🙏🙏🙏🙏

Good evening Fr Marcin, Bilbo and all the lovely people here 🙏💕🙏

Thank you, dear Fr Marcin, for all the time you dedicate to us. You know my heart. I too am very grateful to the Holy Spirit and to you for this extra help you give us/me. Always in my prayers and in my heart. Fratelli tutti! Pax et Bonum🙏💖🙏

Good evening Fr .Marcin

Thank you Father 🙏

Good evening Father Marcin and friends . We are looking forward to this evening Launce and Sandra .

Good evening one and all. I hope everyone's well.

Good evening everyone. Happy Tuesday to you all

Good evening. ☕️☕️❤️❤️

Yes, they had. They were still talking about the "breath" today

Good evening everyone 💛💚💙

Good evening everyone 🙏❤️

Good evening

Maybe we listen but not that clever to understand...

hahaha… sounds like political talks for me 😀

Good evening everybody 🙂 <3

Good evening Fr Marcin, Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Ciaoooo Bilbo!💕

Thank you Father 🙏

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TUESDAY 19/01/2021The Holy Mass at 7.00pm. Intention: + O'Connor Family RIP ... See MoreSee Less

21 hours ago

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❤️

Good evening everyone

❤️

🙏

🙏

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... See MoreSee Less

22 hours ago

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January: Month of The Holy Name of Jesus In the Name of Jesus let every knee bow,
of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth
and let every tongue confess that the Lord Jesus Christ
is in the glory of God the Father.


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