By I P Sarto
Bandel, Jan 28, 2025: Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) animators from eastern India are attending a media training to strengthen their groups in parishes.
As many as 24 representatives from 13 eastern India dioceses are attending the January 27-31 program at Bandel Basilica Retreat Centre, about 40 km from north of Kolkata.
Media has central place in the lives of all Christians presently, said Sister Christin Joseph from Kolkata. So, we want to train our BEC animators how best they can use the social media to proclaim the Gospel, added the Holy Cross nun who is involved in BEC promotion for the past three decades in eastern India.
Jesuit Father Sebastian Kanekattil, one of the facilitators and a media expert from Patna, said the training will enable the participants to understand the great influence of social media among youth.
Mahendra Gurung, a participnt from Sikkim, said he wanted to learn how to effectively use social media to teach Christians to understand the importance of BECs in the parishes. Presentation through media will attract children and youth who are addicted to mobiles, added the social activist.
Sister Christin, the main organizer, said the sessions will cover how to make effective power point presentations, making posters, different means of communication, script writing for videos and video editing. Various facilitators on social media are expected to come to Bandel to train the participants.
Besides the training, the participants will have a chance to make pilgrimage to the Bandel Basilica during this Jubilee year, said Father Sameer Kerketta from Hazaribag diocese in Jharkhand.
The participants are priests, religious and laity. The training started with Mass at Bandel Basilica of Our Lady of Rosary.
Father Alexander Gurung from Darjeeling, another facilitator, said making short videos on BECs will help the participants to make BEC animation powerful in the villages. “This is an art, we need to learn to be effective in our pastoral ministry, said Father Gurung, the Public Relations Officer in Darjeeling diocese.
Very Good