ATLANTA, GA – April 21, 2008 – During the 42nd World Communications Day, Pope Benedict XVI stated that, "The new media – telecommunications and Internet in particular – are changing the very face of communication; perhaps this is a valuable opportunity to reshape it!"
Following the encouragement of Pope Benedict, as well as Pope John Paul II before him, the first Catholic New Media Celebration will be held in Atlanta, Georgia on June 22, 2008, the day after the Eucharistic Congress that is conducted annually by the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
"Our motto is come for the Eucharistic Congress, stay for the Catholic New Media Celebration," says Greg Willits, COO of the Star Quest Production Network, the host of the event.
Held at the Georgia International Convention Center, the same venue as the Eucharistic Congress, the Catholic New Media Celebration is a day to Learn, Share, and Explore how New Media can help the Catholic Church in the New Evangelization called for by Pope John Paul II.
Anyone interested in New Media is invited to attend. Registration and admission for both the Eucharistic Congress as well as the Catholic New Media Celebration are free. Participants can register online at http://celebration.sqpn.com
Parishes, dioceses, and other Catholic organizations are encouraged to send their technology representatives to learn more about the technologies that can assist both religious and laypeople in evangelization efforts through the use of technology.
"It is amazing how much new media – such as podcasting, blogs, and other technologies – have helped people grow in their faith and grow closer to God," says Willits, who with his wife Jennifer created the popular "That Catholic Show" video series and also co-hosts the award-winning Rosary Army Catholic Podcast. "We want the Catholic New Media Celebration to be exactly that – a celebration of this technology for the people who use it, as well as for those who create it."
The Catholic New Media Celebration is a festive, educational, and spiritual one-day event to help all Catholics live out the "great relaunching" of evangelization called for by Pope John Paul II. In the spirit of the Holy Father’s writings regarding the New Evangelization, the CNMC is a day of sharing the latest technologies and techniques used to creatively and effectively invite others to grow in the Catholic faith through new and modern ways, not only in parishes and dioceses, but throughout the whole world.
New media includes podcasts and online video, games and software, websites and blogs, mobile technology and all things interactive. The Catholic New Media Celebration is a gathering of today’s new media producers within the Catholic Church, as well as of those who simply enjoy and have a desire to learn more about new media content, to grow as a community in an effort to more effectively create and share powerful and unique content for the benefit of the universal Catholic Church.
The event is hosted by the Star Quest Production Network. SQPN (www.SQPN.com) produces on-demand audio and video programs, also known as podcasts, and offers a portal for a select number of affiliated Catholic podcasters that share the vision and media strategy of SQPN.
Contact: SQPN
http://www.sqpn.com GA, USA
Greg Willits, President +1.206.984.1899
Keywords: SQPN, New Media, Podcast
Category: Catholic resources
