Communications is “for all of us and all Church departments”, not just the ministries involved in communications, said Trinity TV Station Manager Lisa Bhajan, during a meeting of the team leading the process of developing an Integrated Pastoral Communications Plan (IPCP) for the Archdiocese.
At the monthly meeting, at Catholic Media Services Limited (CAMSEL), August 25, Bhajan said it was vital for the IPCP in every diocese in the region to get the message out that “communications are for everyone”.
The IPCP is intended to be inclusive of the diverse ministries within each diocese. It holds that the pastoral communications’ ministry must be at the service of the entire diocese. The process, which began in September last year, requires that ministries in our Archdiocese and all dioceses in the region embrace a ‘collaborative stance’ to create and support a win-win situation for all.
Bhajan also made a presentation on the recent AEC pastoral letter New Ways of Being Church in a Digital Milieu. She told the group the document provided the foundation for achieving the ultimate objective of all pastoral communications: to proclaim the Good News to the poor, to set captives free, to give sight to the blind and to free the oppressed.
It states, “We need a new missionary spirit, one that’s based on participation, dialogue and collaboration and one that speaks to the heart and soul of our Antillean people.”
As a pilot project, the Port of Spain IPCP group has adopted the theme Hospitality based on Archbishop Joseph Harris’ pastoral letter, Return to Hospitality. The team decided on two approaches for the project: Hospitality in Education, and Hospitality in Action (CN May 28).
The meeting also addressed the ongoing “hospitable work” that is taking place in parishes and ministries throughout the Archdiocese.