For the Archdiocese of Jakarta, diocesan magazines are tool to bring together faithful and parishes
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - A meeting held on 30 November under the auspices of the Social Communications Office of the Archdiocese of Jakarta focused on strengthening links between the faithful, creating more opportunities for them to meet and exchange ideas, promoting participation in the mission of the Church through, among other things, the essential contribution of the laity in the production of Catholic books, magazines and newspapers.
About 200 faithful from Jakarta parishes heeded enthusiastically the appeal launched by Fr Harry Sulistyo, head of the Social Communications Office, and Fr Samuel Pangestu, vicar general of the archdiocese.
Speaking about the initiative, participants stressed the pleasure they got "from being able to do something meaningful and useful for the Church and the Catholic community".
Moreover, in Indonesia it is a common practice for the faithful to contribute actively to the needs of parishes, seminaries, priests and future priests. Indeed, it is not uncommon to see families cook a meal and offer food to their spiritual guides.
In Jakarta, an atmosphere of joy and sharing permeated the meeting whose aim was precisely to set up a network of contacts among the faithful, particularly among those who actively participate in the work to proclaim the word of God through media, publications, magazines and newspapers.
The Archdiocese of Jakarta includes 63 parishes, with congregations ranging between 10,000 and 13,000 members, Fr Harry Sulistyo said.
Within the community, "monthly or bimonthly magazines create connections," the priest added. This is why "the work of editors, writers, journalists and photographers is fundamental."
This is also why Catholic leaders in Jakarta want more people to become more involved in writing for and publishing diocesan magazines, which bear witness to the real life of the local Church.
Personal stories and experiences are a source of "precious" growth and action, stressed Tyas, an activist with Santa Maria Parish in Tangerang.
In some cases, some publishing products have had some success, like the bi-monthly magazine Komunika, published by the Santa Monica Parish in Serpong. Since its inception, it has a proven to be an effective means of communication for parish life with advertising paying for "half of its costs of publication".
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation. Catholics number only seven million or 3 per cent of the population. In the Archdiocese of Jakarta, they are around 3.6 per cent.
Over the years, Catholics have contributed to the nation's development and play a major role in emergency operations, as was the case during the devastating floods of January 2013.
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