Charting the Road Forward in JCSA Communications Ministry

Pope Francis has chosen “Artificial intelligence and wisdom of the heart: for a fully human communication” as the theme for World Communication Day 2024. Aligning with the theme, the JESCOM coordinators from our various Provinces came together at Dhyan Ashram, Chennai, from October 23 to 25, 2023, for training and deliberations on the effective use of Social media, Technologies and Artificial Intelligence in communications.

At the inaugural Eucharist, Fr. Anthony Robinson SJ, Rector – Loyola College, stressed the need to carry forward the legacy of St Ignatius and the pioneer Jesuit missionaries as effective communicators. Fr. Anthony Pancras, editor of New Leader Magazine, conducted a session on ‘Social media – a possibility to Evangelize’ and shared about the document published by Vatican Dicastery of Communications: ‘Towards Full Presence – a Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media’. Fr. Ernest SDB conducted a session on ‘Social media, AI and its hurdles’ and introduced various AI platforms and applications, saying, “In the present era, to communicate is to be present, speak their language and walk with them – be the sacrament of presence”. In the third session, Fr. Joe Arun SJ, JCSA Secretary for Higher Education and Director of LIBA, invited us as Jesuit Communicators to shift from Pipeline thinking to Platform thinking.

The second phase of the meeting included presentations on Province communications initiatives and sharing of the good practices, followed by a visit to Madha TV, a Catholic satellite television.

The final day started with the presentation ‘The Road Forward in JCSA Communications Ministry’ by Fr. Sebasti Raj SJ, Secretary – Inclusive Development. He highlighted various initiatives, which could be taken up by Provinces and collectively at the Conference level. In conclusion, Fr. Vernard Antonyraj SJ, Conference Communications Coordinator, guided the planning exercise. In essence, new media technologies and communication are vital for the Society to fulfill its mission in today’s interconnected world.

Mr. Jovin George

JESCOM Coordinator, Pune Province