04.11.2019

Communication and Mission

Patrizia Morgante, the communications officer of the UISG, presented the important topic of Communication and Mission to the formators. She led them into the digital world and summarized it in three parts: 1) Digital Culture; 2) Digital culture and Religious Life; 3) Digital Culture and Formation.

The digital world is real. It is a web surrounding our earth today. We live in an ‘Onlife’ world and not just in an online world. Elements of digital culture are: pocket-size media, no mediation between user and message, reaction and pro-action, from user to producer, exposure to diversity, data, digital print and algorithms, from homily to conversation and increased cyber stupidity.

How can we nurture the digital world instead of condemning it? This can be possible when we work as bridges connecting persons, bringing life, hope and values. She stressed the importance of using communication media, and the church becoming part and parcel of the digital world of youth. It is only through this medium that we can be more relevant today.

The digital culture has a great impact on religious life; it means adopting the language that touches our spirituality and changing to what gives more life to the young people of today. Horizontality, Integration, Multimedia , Cooperation , Sharing and Copyleft are the effects on religious life in digital world.

Digital culture in formation is a need of the times, not only to accompany those in formation towards God but also to introduce them to the signs of the time. All need to be trained and educated in digital culture. Stimulate the formation process by integrating the digital world. These are not just tools, but they are the spaces within the framework of spirituality itself.

The afternoon session focused on placing ourselves in the shoes of youth. The role of a formator is to lead to Christ and to integrate those in formation to the fullness of life. A good formator looks forward to their all-around growth. At the end of the session, we reflected on some of the promises which we could offer to a young person when she enters the community.

S. Jaya Nampally