REGIONAL COMMISSION for SOCIAL COMMUNICATION, Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei

Front row L-R : Lawrence John, Stella Chin, Majella Gomes, Sr Anna Yap FSP, John Ng
Back row L-R : Terrence Ngui, Canute Januarius, Augustine Loothusamy, Bp Cornelius Sim, Fr Robert Leong

This year's annual meeting was held at the Majodi Centre of the Melaka-Johor Diocese, Johor Bahru from the 21st June 2011 to 24th June 2011. The meeeting commenced with the "Roll call" or marking the attendance and Opening Mass on 21st June 2011. Bishop Cornelius Sim the President of Episcopal Commission for Social Communications welcomed all participants for this year's meeting and thanked the Melaka-Johor Diocese for hosting the meeting.

"Gifts of God" was the topic for the study day on the 2nd day of the meeting. This was a review of the Social Communication Documents since Vatican II by Canute Januarius of Cahayasuara Communications Centre of Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur:-

• The model of all Church Communications is the communion of the Trinitarian God.
• It is the Church's birth right of owning and using any of these media which are necessary or useful for the formation of Christians and for pastoral activity.
• Establish and support Catholic publications to offer a Christian view of the world
• Priests, religious and laity should be trained to acquire the competence needed to use media for the apostolate. Lay people must be given the necessary technical, doctrinal and moral formation.

These were among several highlights of the Inter Mirifica document of the Church. The 3rd day concluded with reports of activities of the various Dioceses. There was also the screenig of the Signis award winning video clips of the Kuching Archdiocese. Next year's meeting will be hosted by the Diocese of Sandakan.

Terrence Ngui

Diocesan SOCCOM

Formation of St Mary's Cathedral SOCCOM Committee

Meeting in progress

Sandakan : The Social Communication Committee of St Mary's Cathedral was officially established today, 19th January 2010 and held its inaugural meeting at the Parish Meeting Room.

Soccom Committee members with Fr Thomas Makajil

In his opening address, Fr Thomas Makajil the rector of the Cathedral urged members of the Soccom team to take heed of the modern trend of evangelizing through the IT media and thus the role of the team is vital in fulfilling the great mission of the Church.