Church in England and Wales trains Communication Officers for Oz

Church in England and Wales trains Communication Officers for Oz

Young people from dioceses across England and Wales gathered in London last Friday to learn how ‘go out and preach the World Youth Day Good News’. This was the second World Youth Day Communication Officers media training day - the first took place in Liverpool last month. Thirty two young people have now been trained to serve the local and universal Church in this key media role. Many will work in teams to gather and disseminate news in written, video and audio format direct from their Days in the Diocese and the key moments in Sydney.

Trained in a variety of different forms of media from blogging to podcasting, press releases to keeping a video diary, the Communication Officers will proactively engage with the media in the weeks leading up to, during and beyond World Youth Day. They will also respond to requests from the many foreign and domestic journalists who are expected to attend what is being billed as ‘the biggest youth event in the world’.

The Right Reverend Kieran Conry, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton with special responsibility for young people and former Head of the Catholic Media Office in London lent his spiritual and practical support to the day He told the budding Communication Officers that: “Religion is not a fringe activity, we all have a right to believe in it and this is a great opportunity to get that message out into the media”. He went onto say that: “Cologne (World Youth Day 2005), didn’t feature heavily in the news, however, in Australia, the domestic media is also English speaking, so we can feedback to the UK just as effectively as dealing with the media on the ground”.

“I’m full of excitement at this opportunity and responsibility”, said Ross Kempsell, 16, a newly trained World Youth Day Communication Officer. “World Youth Day as a pilgrim will be great and now with this extra and important dimension added to my time in Australia, I feel truly empowered to go out and put these skills into practice”.

Communication is at the heart of the Church’s mission and this year’s World Youth Day message proclaims that: ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses’. Contemporary witnesses to the Gospel make use of all the modern day tools available in their tool kit to proclaim the Gospel message. The World Youth Day Communication Officers have embraced the wonderful world of podcasting, video casting and blogging to be able to share their faith, their passion and their commitment to the Catholic Church to thousands of others.

ENDS

The training program has been devised by the CCN, in collaboration with CASE, NOV, CYS and the Archdiocese of Liverpool.

Contact

Maggie Doherty, CCN, t. 020 7901 4802 e. Maggie.Doherty@cbcew.org.uk Photos are available on request.

CCN – Catholic Communications Network

CASE – Catholic Agency to Support Evangelisation

NOV – National Office for Vocation

CYS – Catholic Youth Services