We need media capable of building bridges, defending life and mending divisions among people, Pope Francis said on June 30, 2020, in a message to the Catholic Media Conference.
That it is the aim of Catholic media efforts in the Archdiocese of St. Louis and elsewhere. Assisting those efforts is the Catholic Communication Campaign, which helps the Church spread the Gospel message in the United States and in developing countries using modern media tools to inform, inspire and enlighten.
Pope Francis stressed the essential mission of the communications media in bringing people together, shortening distances, providing necessary information, and opening minds and hearts to truth. Unity amid diversity, he stated, inspires service to the common good and is urgently needed today, “in an age marked by conflicts and polarization from which the Catholic community itself is not immune.”
Catholic communication efforts help people to distinguish good from evil, to develop sound judgments based on a clear and unbiased presentation of the facts, and to understand the importance of working for justice, social harmony and respect for our common home. It opens our eyes to people who suffer and, in Pope Francis’ words, is part of the “work to overcome the diseases of racism, injustice and indifference that disfigure the face of our common family.”
The 2021 collection for the Catholic Communication Campaign will occur in parishes the weekend of May 15-16. Half of the collection funds projects in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
This campaign connects people with Christ and builds up Catholic communities using the internet, television, radio and print media.
Nationally, for example, the campaign collection provided seed funding and an updated mobile-friendly design for the For Your Marriage website. It also funds an e-mail delivery of the daily Scripture readings. The funds facilitate live streaming of events such as the U.S. bishops’ general assemblies and Pope Francis’ 2015 apostolic visit to the United States. It also provides ongoing support for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website and video productions.
In the archdiocese, funds have been used, for example, to bring Catholic radio programming to Ste. Genevieve County and televised Masses to people who are homebound as well as assist with spreading evangelization, instruction, formation and information to the community through means such as videos (see the archdiocesan YouTube channel at
www.youtube.com/c/ArchdioceseofStLouis).
It’s part of the essential work of the Church, helping people understand how the Gospel is applied in today’s world.