Society
Of The Divine Word

The India Subzone organized the meeting of directors of communication centres of the Sub-Zone on 14-15 November 2023 at Satprakashan Sanchar Kendra in Indore. The main objective of the gathering was to evaluate the work that has been done so far, to look for new ways for the future and to discuss the possibilities of networking among the confreres of the different communication centres of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).

The meeting was attended by the communication directors of all the centres of the sub-zone, including the confreres working in the printing press in Indore and Sr. Ganga Rawat SSpS, sub-zonal communication coordinator of SSpS India. Fr Raju Soosai SVD said the opening prayer, and  Fr. Petrus Baraik SVD, Director of Communication of the Indian Region Guwahati (ING), shared a short reflection based on the reading. Fr. Anthony Swamy SVD, Communication Coordinator of the Indian Sub-zone, welcomed Fr. Modeste, General Communication Coordinator, with a shawl and flowers. He also welcomed Fr. Paulraj SVD, Provincial Superior of the Central Province of India, and all the confreres and Sr. Ganga SSpS.

In his opening address, Fr. Paulraj emphasized three important points. Firstly, he stressed the need for communication to be rooted in the customs and traditions of the people. Secondly, he stressed the importance of working together and cultivating honest and unbiased listening. Finally, he addressed the challenges of communication ministry in keeping up with rapidly advancing technology and encouraged all to follow the example of St. Arnold Janssen, founder of the SVD. Fr. Clarence, one of the pioneers in communication ministry among the Indian SVDs and founder of the communication centre, Satprakashan Sanchar Kendra, gave a historical overview of the communication ministry in the Indian Sub-zone.

During the sessions, the confreres had ample time to share their work and experiences in their respective communication centres. Fr. Modeste, general coordinator of communication, shared his views from the perspective of the Generalate. Our communication, he said, is first and foremost a mission of every confrere, then of those assigned exclusively to this apostolate. In a world that presents us with many challenges and, above all, with the rapid advance of technology, we must find our place in the global and ecclesial information space. To do this, we must take care of our communication, i.e., content. We must make the content relevant and attractive. We must always prevail in human communication that starts from the heart to the heart. To be efficient, we must train ourselves and work in a network. Fr. Modeste also posed two questions for the group’s reflection:

1. What is the role of the communication centres in the new missionary context in India?
2. How can we work together to foster a network between the communication centres in the Indian sub-zone and the society at large?
   
   

Two working groups were formed. Both groups engaged in meaningful discussions and came to the conclusion that in the changing context of mission, communication centres can play a role in animating and fostering public relations. They also emphasized the importance of actively engaging with the lay media, reporting on relevant issues and being the voice and face of the province. The groups strongly recommended sharing infrastructure, equipment and talents among the different media centres to improve networking. If one centre lacks certain resources, others can support it to ensure effective production.

On the second day, the Society’s communication center directors worldwide had the opportunity to interact and encourage networking in a Zoom meeting. Each director shared their own experiences in communications ministry. The focus of the discussion among the communication directors was the need for networking. It was decided to create a platform for the communication directors to reflect, discuss and formulate strategies for effective networking and collaboration in communication ministry within the congregation.

Anthony Swamy Swamy, SVD.