Thank you, Fathers!

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI just published a wonderful message for the 44th World Communications Day:  “The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World” 
(see: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20100124_44th-world-communications-day_en.html )

A few excerpts:

“… Priests stand at the threshold of a new era: as new technologies create deeper forms of relationship across greater distances, they are called to respond pastorally by putting the media ever more effectively at the service of the Word. …

… Priests can rightly be expected to be present in the world of digital communications as faithful witnesses to the Gospel, exercising their proper role as leaders of communities which increasingly express themselves with the different “voices” provided by the digital marketplace. …

… Priests are thus challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources (images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites) which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue, evangelization and catechesis.

... Using new communication technologies, priests can introduce people to the life of the Church and help our contemporaries to discover the face of Christ. … This will not only enliven their pastoral outreach, but also will give a “soul” to the fabric of communications that makes up the “Web”. …

… To my dear brother priests I renew the invitation to make astute use of the unique possibilities offered by modern communications. May the Lord make all of you enthusiastic heralds of the Gospel in the new “agorà” which the current media are opening up! …”

.

Therefore:

Dear Fathers Eugene, Martin and David,
THANK YOU
for … “using the latest generation of audiovisual resources” in order to “give a ‘soul’ to the Web”, as the Holy Father said!

Thank you for providing this Website and also your Parish-Websites;

thank you for the Blogs of last year and the Audio-files “Thoughts and Reflections”;

thank you for using iPhones, Blackberries, Twitter and SMS;

thank you for having your own Podcast channel;

thank you for being “available” at iTunes, Amazon, Youtube and Godtube;

and last but not least:
thank you for even providing Webcams that allow us watching Live Streams of Holy Mass and Liturgy!

All your efforts are highly appreciated and gratefully received!

.

AMEN !!
Kaja

Hi Pilgrim

I also read that article from the Telegraph. I fully endorse everything you have said , their efforts have been tremendous and all is definitely gratefully received.
The article mentioned ‘animated features’. That should be interesting !!

Margaret

Pilgrim - 23 January 2010 05:18 PM

Thank you, Fathers!

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI just published a wonderful message for the 44th World Communications Day:  “The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World”[/bDear Fathers Eugene, Martin and David,
THANK YOU[/color]
for … “using the latest generation of audiovisual resources” in order to “give a ‘soul’ to the Web”, as the Holy Father said!

Thank you for providing this Website and also your Parish-Websites;

thank you for the Blogs of last year and the Audio-files “Thoughts and Reflections”;

thank you for using iPhones, Blackberries, Twitter and SMS;

thank you for having your own Podcast channel;

thank you for being “available” at iTunes, Amazon, Youtube and Godtube;

and last but not least:
thank you for even providing Webcams that allow us watching Live Streams of Holy Mass and Liturgy!

All your efforts are highly appreciated and gratefully received!

.

Just wanted to let you know that I went into my local HMV store to get another copy of the priests and they have sold out, they said they could not keep the CD in stock because it is so popular, and that is a small store in Canada.  Submitted for your information.

Jo-Anne

If anyone’s interested and didn’t see it, Fr. Eugene announced this morning during Mass at Sacred Heart Church that a TV crew will be filming the February 14th service there for the future Mother’s Day episode on “Songs of Praise” featuring The Priests.  He also invited the congregation to join him at Fr. Martin’s church in Newtownards at a later date for additional filming, and noted that he had tried to have the program filmed at their church but Newtownards was larger.

FYI, if you haven’t viewed Mass at Ballyclare yet, it was lovely with a thoughtful Homily.  The organist included “Ave Maria” and “Ag Criost an Siol,” and Fr. Eugene sang quite a bit throughout.  Although I haven’t been to Mass in ages, all of the words were very familiar and comforting.  Thank you, Fr. Eugene, for opening up your church so we can “participate” from afar!  Thanks also to Pilgrim for providing the link to Sacred Heart’s live Webcam!  c.

He also invited the congregation to join him at Fr. Martin’s church in Newtownards at a later date for additional filming.

Newtownards: 19 February, evening!

Pilgrim - 31 January 2010 07:00 PM

He also invited the congregation to join him at Fr. Martin’s church in Newtownards at a later date for additional filming.

Newtownards: 19 February, evening!

The 19th…yes that sounds right but I wasn’t sure (was still half asleep at 6 a.m.)  Too bad we can’t watch that on Webcam, also!  Thanks, c.

Pilgrim:  You mention in the first post on this thread that the Frs. have parish websites.  I’ve found Fr. David’s and Fr. Eugene’s, but still can’t locate Fr. Martin’s since his move from Cushendon to St. Patrick’s in Newtownards and Our Lady of the Visitation in Comber, with either Google or Bing.  (I enjoy reading their bulletins, looking at the photos and reading about the history of their churches.)  Any tips on how I can find Fr. Martin’s parish website?  Thanks!  c.

Sorry, Cindy, no tips - apart from crossing your fingers that one might soon be up and running!
Once it is, you should be able to find the address here:  http://www.catholicireland.net/mass-times?task=churchbyparish&ParishID=340

☼
Website Ballyclare & Ballygowan (Fr. Eugene):
http://ballyclareandballygowan.org/

  (see also: http://www.catholicireland.net/mass-times?task=churchbyparish&ParishID=307 )

☼
Website Hannahstown (Fr. David):
http://hannahstownparish.com

  (see also:  http://www.catholicireland.net/mass-times?task=churchbyparish&ParishID=271 )
  (see also:  http://www.parishofstluke.net/links/dc/city/hannahstown/index.htm )

☼
Website Newtownards & Comber (Fr. Martin):
…

  (see also:  http://www.catholicireland.net/mass-times?task=churchbyparish&ParishID=340 )

.

Btw, neither this website nor The Priests’ official Youtube-Account were ever updated re Fr. Martin’s transfer to Newtownards in October 2009!
(see http://www.thepriests.com/gb/priests/
resp. see http://www.youtube.com/thepriestsofficial)

That’s probably the reason why almost all of the recent newspaper-articles (even those announcing upcoming concerts) still claim that Fr. Martin is located in Cushendun…

.

Dear Fathers,

THANK YOU!

I certainly can ‘second’ this posting!!There is so much that we all must contend with in our daily routine of doing all that we must; having this ‘life line’ is a blessing truly beyond telling. If I may say this (in this way!!), having the possibility of following THE PRIESTS - their many activities and above all else, to listen to their music, is truly an enormous gift. Thank you SO much!! -      TAJAE