Society marks Feast Day of St Francis

By LORRAINE KLUKI
THE Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (CBCPNGSI) celebrated the Feast Day of Saint Francis de Sales in January with the theme “Bringing the children to Jesus for a fully human communication”.
St Francis is the patron saint of journalists and writers whose day is celebrated on Jan 24 to commemorate his role as a priest and bishop who helped bring thousands of Protestants back to the Church.
The Church’s programme to celebrate the day brings together media organisations and other agencies that involve in providing a safe space for children and young people to have a voice on pressing issues affecting Papua New Guinea.
CBCPNGSI social communication commission secretary Sr Daisy Anne Lisania said St Francis de Sales was proclaimed patron of journalists by Pope Pius XI in 1923 because de Sales made extensive use of broadsheets and books in spiritual education.
She said de Sales feast day traditionally marked the release of the Pope’s annual message for World Communications Day.
“The theme for the World Communication Day 2024 chosen by the Pope is ‘Artificial intelligence and wisdom of the heart: for a fully human communication.”
She said the feast day’s theme was incorporated from the 2024 World Communication Day theme and the 2024 Pastoral Letter theme ‘Bring children to Jesus’. The event’s discussion topic was about how journalists, media personnel, non-governmental organisations and how church agencies could bring the voices of children and their issues to the society.
Lisania said that children were an integral part of the community and educating them about the correct usage of media and communication would result in positive changes in the community.
She quoted an African proverb: ‘A child not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth’ and added that ‘a small act of kindness goes a long way for a child’.