In place of the traditional blackboard, a Liquid Crystal Diode (LCD) screen. Instead of pencils and notebook is the computer. Besides the traditional Catholic hymns and bible study, students of religious education of Holy Spirit Parish in Cruz Alta, in Brazil’s Northern State watch videos on YouTube, do research on the Internet and post them in a blog, best described as digital catechesis.The idea came from Father Edson Menegazzi, who uses the Internet as a way of attracting young people to church. They already use the internet to research other topics. Why not do the same with religion, said the priest.Since the design of digital catechesis began to be published at Mass, the number of students from pre-Communion classes rose from 14 to 103. According to the priest, working with the use of computer does not replace the conventional catechism, rather it complements it.
The project was tried last year with a classroom experiment. This year the goal is to reach 200 young people. In the blog created especially for catechism, the priest put texts for reflection, which are open to feedback from students. The course comprises 10 encounters: two presences, the first and last - and the rest by the Internet. For those who do not have access to the internet at home, a semi laboratory space was set in the church´s parish hall. Funds to purchase the computers and to pay for access to the Internet are obtained through donations.When I asked one of the students, 12 year old William Mate of Shechem, who participated in catechesis digital last year what he thought of the project, he fully endorsed the idea. “We are in changing times and evangelization also comes through the internet.” He does not have internet access at home and uses the church.Since 2008, the priest has made use of technology to attract and engage the youths of the parish. Before the project in Cruz Alta, he had already introduced it in the parish of Our Lady of the Nativity, in the neighboring district of Hamburg. An internet site was created in which the faithful could access and check out the schedule of mass, see the schedule daily parish activities and communicate with the priest via-email, and even listen to devotional music provided by radio on the internet.
The project was tried last year with a classroom experiment. This year the goal is to reach 200 young people. In the blog created especially for catechism, the priest put texts for reflection, which are open to feedback from students. The course comprises 10 encounters: two presences, the first and last - and the rest by the Internet. For those who do not have access to the internet at home, a semi laboratory space was set in the church´s parish hall. Funds to purchase the computers and to pay for access to the Internet are obtained through donations.When I asked one of the students, 12 year old William Mate of Shechem, who participated in catechesis digital last year what he thought of the project, he fully endorsed the idea. “We are in changing times and evangelization also comes through the internet.” He does not have internet access at home and uses the church.Since 2008, the priest has made use of technology to attract and engage the youths of the parish. Before the project in Cruz Alta, he had already introduced it in the parish of Our Lady of the Nativity, in the neighboring district of Hamburg. An internet site was created in which the faithful could access and check out the schedule of mass, see the schedule daily parish activities and communicate with the priest via-email, and even listen to devotional music provided by radio on the internet.
From Medino Abraham
No comments:
Post a Comment