With an intention to spread the Catholic Focus (www.catholicfocus.in) into a national Catholic news portal, an orientation program was held in Ernakulam Pastoral Orientation Center (POC) for the Kerala region on 27th and 28th October, 2018. His Excellency Bishop Mar Raphael Thattil of Shamshabad diocese inaugurated the orientation program. The inaugural function was held under the guidance of Fr. Franklin Joseph, the director of Kalyan Media Cell and Catholic Focus.
His Grace Mar Raphael Thattil remarked that ‘It is necessary to enlighten the younger generation about the digital missions of the Church and to make them aware about the technologies. It has also become an important sphere to emphasize the styles and interests of the media.’ The Bishop urged the gathering to help the Church and her mission to reach the needy ones through the proper use of media. Fr. Franklin Joseph highlighted that “This media orientation is based on the theme: #WiththeChurch. Primarily it is to spread the Catholic Focus news Portal into different parts of the nation. At the same time, this Media Orientation would help to form the faithful from different parts of the nation to stand with the Church in Online and Offline media.”
Catholic Focus, the media Apostolate of the Diocese of Kalyan had begun its victorious journey on 6th January, 2017 with its main theme as – “Inform to Transform.” Syro-Malabar PROs Rev. Dr. Mathew Chandrankunnel, Sijo Pynadath and Media persons included Jeena Paul, Tom Kuriakose and Advocate Sheri J Thomas, led various sessions in the orientation. Such types of orientations are expected to be held in the future in different cities of the nation.
