The event took place late last month in the Indonesian capital. Participants were taught how to use the collected material of photographs and stories to reach an ever-wider audience with the Gospel.
Jakarta () – “Thanks to this seminar I no longer feel alone in the media field,” explains Sister. Susana Gunawan, of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, after participating in the workshop on promoting works of apostolate that was held at the end of May at the Yayasan Karsa Cipta Asa Foundation (YKCA) in Jakarta in collaboration with the Office of Catholic orientation. Entitled “From facts to news”, it was attended by 40 nuns belonging to different congregations: Ursulines, Sisters of Notre Dame, Franciscans of Sukabumi, Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres and the nuns of the Institute of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
“I have collected hundreds of photographs and travel stories, but I was not able to use this material to talk about my religious life and the apostolate of my congregation,” said Sister Stefani Rengkuan, who works for the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference.
Sister Michaela, a young Franciscan nun from Sukabumi who works as a teacher, also shared the same experience. Originally from the Mentawai Islands, very far from the main cities of the province of West Sumatra of which they are part, she said she felt “encouraged” by the workshop thanks to the “testimony of religious and lay people who have learned to produce online content.” .
Several other sisters echoed the same experience, convinced that digital tools are necessary to spread the Gospel to an increasing number of people.
Anton Sinaga, from the Jakarta Catholic Guidance Office, commented positively on the event: “We have always believed that the experience of religious people, both women and consecrated men, should be promoted. It is necessary to aim at the development of personal capabilities , since these people are the basis of the various apostolates of the Church in the field of education, health and pastoral services,” said Sinaga, a former Carmelite seminarian.
Tiominar Silalahi – the only lay participant – also commented that activities of this type should be carried out more often to take advantage of the religious people’s skills in the media field. “I am very happy that YKCA and the Jakarta Catholic Church Guidance Office have successfully launched this program,” she said.
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