Welcome Note

Father John Flynn, LC in his article on ‘Evangelizing a Digital World’ wrote “Passing on the faith to the next generation is harder than ever in a world that is more and more secularized.” In a world where life seems very fleeting, where young adults search for things they can depend on, things they regard as true, and things that are greater than themselves, "Mike Hayes in his book called "Googling God: The Religious Landscape of People in Their 20s and 30s," notes, we live in a time of revolutionary technological changes, subject to an information overload. In the midst of the competing claims for attention, it is difficult for the Church to make its message heard, or to know how to adapt to changes in mentality, author recommends the need to make better use of Web sites, e-mail newsletters, blogs and other ways to reach out to young people.

Church is indeed active in using the latest media technology to evangelize. Benedict XVI's expressed his hopes that religious men and women increase their use of information technology, and thus take advantage of what he called a new form of apostolate. In 2002 the Pontifical Council for Social Communications published a document titled: "The Church and Internet." explained (No. 5). "Since announcing the Good News to people formed by a media culture requires taking carefully into account the special characteristics of the media themselves, the Church now needs to understand the Internet," The Internet offers many advantages, such as direct access to spiritual resources along with a capacity of overcoming distances. It thus offers the Church new possibilities for communication. New media technologies also offer many possibilities for two-way communication and social interactivity. While these means are new the social aspect of the Church as a community is a long-standing principle.

The Church is, in fact, "a communion of persons and Eucharistic communities arising from and mirroring the communion of the Trinity" (No. 3). Therefore, communication is part of the essence of the Church. This communication, the Council specified, should be characterized by truthfulness, accountability, and sensitivity to human rights. The council also warned that the virtual world has its limitations and that pastoral planning is needed to enable people to make the transition from cyberspace to a personal community, where they can come into contact with the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and participate in the celebration of the sacraments.
The Church should make full use of the potential offered by new communications technology in carrying out its mission, the document recommended. At the same time we need to keep firmly in mind, the council exhorted, that for all types of media, Christ should be both our model and the source of the content of what we communicate. A model as valid in the 21st century as it was for the first Christians.

As the leader of this group I am very happy to introduce you this blog. Recently Cardinal Ruini said “The religious can witness to Christ through sciences and technology. Your creativity ought to find new techniques for the vocational challenge, which ought to develop in step with society." This blog is a new step to express our creativity and to evangelize by the use of new technology. In Maria Mater Ecclesiae, we have 33 committed Indian seminarians from Latin, Syro-Malabar and Malankara rites; it is also the biggest Indian community in Rome. Surely this blog will inspire you with our vocational and divine thoughts.

I thank and congratulate Bros Jaimon, Pradeep & Nelson for its fulfilment.
Looking forward to your support and encouragements.

With love and prayers in Christ
Bro. Sinto Varghese Maliekal