Digital Missionaries: Media Workshop Empowers Church Communicators in Karnataka

Mangaluru, Karnataka, 7 June, 2025 — A dynamic Media Evangelisation Workshop kicked off today at the Sandesha Foundation for Culture and Education, Mangaluru, bringing together 45 clergy, religious, and lay leaders from across Karnataka. The two-day event, themed Empowering BEC and Proclamation Commissions, is a collaborative initiative of the KRCBC’s Regional Proclamation and BEC Commissions and Sandesha Foundation.

Designed as a launchpad for digital missionaries, the workshop focuses on building practical media skills alongside theological and pastoral reflection. Participants are being trained in content creation, social media strategy, and ethical communication, using tools like Canva, CapCut, DALL·E, and AI platforms including ChatGPT.

Fr. Sudeep Paul MSFS, Director of Sandesha and the driving force behind the workshop, welcomed participants with a passionate reminder of Sandesha’s mission. “This space is not just for events—it is a living mission of the Church where art, culture, and catechesis converge,” he said. He described the foundation as a centre nurturing “digital discipleship” for over three decades.

The event was inaugurated by Msgr Maxim Lawrence Noronha, Vicar General of the Diocese of Mangalore, who encouraged the Church to view digital platforms as spaces of communion. “Our mission is not simply to master media, but to use it to build vibrant, Gospel-rooted communities,” he stated, quoting Pope Francis’ 2025 Communications Day message and 1 Peter 3:15: “Share with gentleness the hope that is in your hearts.”

Fr. Maxim Dias, Regional Secretary for BEC and Proclamation, underscored the workshop’s deeper call. “From pews to pixels, our message remains unchanged—Christ must be proclaimed,” he said. “We are forming not just content creators, but credible witnesses.”

The sessions include writing testimonials and interviews with AI support, designing digital content, and creating videos and podcasts. Beyond technique, participants are reflecting on the ethics and spirituality of digital engagement—prioritising credibility, compassion, and communion over mere popularity.

Resource persons for the workshop include Fr. Sudeep Paul MSFS, Fr. Roshan D’Souza, and Fr. Anil Ivan Fernandes. The event runs until 8 June and is part of a broader pastoral push towards synodality, media literacy, and digital evangelisation.

By Fr. Sudeep Paul