Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Honiara (Agenzia Fides) – The Communications Office of the Solomon Islands have launched a new website in order to spread information about the Church and Christ's message through Internet. This is what was explained in a statement sent to Agenzia Fides from Fr. Ambrose Pereira, SDB, the Salesian priest who directs the Office and also heads up various other initiatives and publications of the Catholic Church on the islands, evangelizing through the mass media and the formation of the youth.
The website, located at www.catholicchurchsolomonislands.com,contains all kinds of useful information on the Church in the Solomon Islands, with various links to dioceses, parishes, religious congregations, informational sites, publications like “Voice Katolika” and radio stations like “Radio Bosco.”
“We have tried to create a site with easy navigation, even for non-experts,” Fr. Ambrose said. “The site offers simple information, like Mass schedules, and publicizes Church events and initiatives. It also gives a picture of the Church in Oceania, showing the many apostolates, reflections, and pastoral ministries.”
One part of the website allows browsers access to the archive of “Voice Katolika,” the magazine of the Catholic Church in Solomon Islands. There is another section on World Youth Day in Sydney, an event of great significance for Solomon's youth and one that has given a boost to youth ministry on the islands.
Carol Labbad is the site's webmaster and is working as a volunteer from Australia, offering training to the local people who will be updating the site. She comments: “It is necessary for Catholic Communications to remain at the forefront of technology particularly as the Internet is becoming more widely used in the Solomon Islands. The website allows us to create a link not only to the local community in the Solomon Islands but also to the rest of the world.”
The need to overcome the great distances of the Ocean and to build a “communion of communities” is always felt among the churches of the Pacific who have found in the new technologies a useful instrument in communicating and sharing experiences with greater facility, in service towards the pastoral programs throughout the area. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 17/11/2008)
