Office of Communications serves as ‘voice’ of Archdiocese
May 24, 2011
HOUSTON — In his 43rd message for World Communication Day, Pope Benedict XVI said that technologies such as TV, radio, newspapers, text messages, billboards, DVDs and the Internet are a gift to humanity and Catholics must endeavor to ensure that the benefits they offer are put at the service of all human individuals and communities.
The theme of this year's World Communications Day and the Catholic communication campaign, which will be celebrated June 5, is "Truth, proclamation and authenticity of life in the digital age." In his message, released Jan 24, the pope acknowledged that the Internet has fundamentally changed the way people communicate today.
"This means of spreading information and knowledge is giving birth to a new way of learning and thinking, with unprecedented opportunities for establishing relationships and building fellowship," Pope Benedict XVI said.
"For the faithful or those searching for the faith, the Catholic Communications Campaign provides rich content, bringing the Gospel message one page, click or download at a time," Daniel Cardinal DiNardo wrote in his annual letter supporting the local collection, which will be held in parishes across the Archdiocese on June 5.
The Secretariat for Communications of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is responsible for communicating all official news and information about the local Church.
"This Secretariat's mission is to share the Gospel message of God's boundless love with Catholics and non-Catholics alike, through words of hope, images of Christ's work and modern communication tools." said Jenny Faber, Secretariat for Communications director. "In this digital era, we have unprecedented opportunities for evangelization. It is essential for the Catholic voice to be where the people are, whether that is on social networking sites, on the Internet, on the air or at their mailboxes."
The Secretariat for Communications is supported through the Diocesan Services Fund. The DSF is the annual appeal that funds multiple ministries of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. This year's appeal, "He who hears you, hears Me" (Luke 10:16), is currently underway.
The Secretariat serves as the official "voice" of the Archdiocese on issues related to the Catholic Church and on Archdiocesan events, programs and services. The Secretariat also facilitates official Chancery communication with Archdiocesan parishes, schools, offices and departments and is divided into the following branches:
- The Website division is responsible for developing and maintaining the official website of the Archdiocese, www.archgh.org. This site provides information on all official Archdiocesan departments and their programs, as well as basic data on parishes and Catholic schools of the local Church.
- The Internal Communications is responsible for: Archdiocesan advertising (in the Texas Catholic Herald and in external publications); Archdiocesan internal communications tools and branding; the annual Archdiocesan Directory; the Chancery Copy Center; and the Chancery Mail Room.
- The Archdiocese offers a variety of resources to credentialed members of the print and broadcast news media regarding the events, people and parishes that make up the Archdiocese. The Media Relations Team is the point of contact for all credentialed media inquiries and prepares and distributes statements and other resources to the press.
- The Office of Radio Ministry produces and distributes original Catholic programs for local broadcast in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. The content of the programming is based on the Scriptures and the Liturgical calendar. The Office of Radio Ministry promotes diverse Archdiocesan events such as conferences, retreats and activities to the general public.
- The Texas Catholic Herald is the official newspaper of the Archdiocese, carrying news, feature stories and columns about local, national and world events to approximately 72,000 subscribers in the 10-county area of the Archdiocese. It is also an instrument of the Archdiocese for informing and educating readers about the teachings of the Church. The newspaper publishes twice a month, with the exception of single issues in June, July and August.
Earlier this year, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston launched its newly redesigned website themed, "Inviting all to Become One in Christ." The site's many features include an enhanced parish and school locator, easy navigation to the Archdiocese's many ministries, services and volunteer opportunities, as well as the Daily Vine news blog and an events calendar.
Also new to the site is Cardinal's Corner, a blog by and about Daniel Cardinal DiNardo. An enhanced digital version of the Texas Catholic Herald provides select stories from the print version of the newspaper, as well vibrant multi-media content, including video, audio clips and photo galleries.
Visitors to the new newsroom will discover news releases, video and audio, as well as links to pieces about the Archdiocese by other news organizations. A mobile version of the site, RSS feed and Newsletter page is also available. †