Come Celebrate with Us!
Sunday, May 17, 2:00 pm at the Boston Motherhouse Chapel of the Daughters of St. Paul
You’ve heard of the Red Mass for lawyers, right? And the Blue Mass for police officers? These are usually celebrated annually by a diocese for all Catholics in that profession. We Daughters of St. Paul think there should be an equivalent for media professionals, but since most U.S. dioceses don’t have one (as far as we know), we decided to take matters into our own hands. We can pick a color later.
Those who work in the myriad of media-related professions, whether in Catholic or secular media, have positions that enable them to influence popular thought and public opinion through media production. Why not offer Catholics working in media the grace and strength that celebrating the Eucharist together as a community offers? You are all invited!
We chose to initiate an annual Mass for media professionals as part of the centenary celebrations of our community and thought World Communications Day (WCD) would be the perfect day. Sr. Anne Flanagan, part of the team overseeing our digital media projects, says, “World Communications Day has long been a favorite of the Daughters of St Paul, but until now we have kept our observance within the community. In this, our centenary year, it seems fitting to launch a new stage of our journey with other Catholic media professionals in recognizing the ‘gifts of God’ that the media are, and which characterize our common vocation.”
World Communications Day arose from Vatican II and has been celebrated throughout the Catholic world since 1967 on the Sunday before Pentecost. Each year, the Pope issues a message dealing with some aspect of communications. This year marks the 49th year of WCD celebrations. In keeping with the recent Synod on the Family, the theme for this year’s WCD message is “Communicating the Family: A Privileged Place of Encounter with the Gift of Love.” Pope Francis brings us to the foundation of communications media by first speaking about the act of communication itself and its importance as a foundational value for family relationships:
In the family, we learn to embrace and support one another, to discern the meaning of facial expressions and moments of silence, to laugh and cry together with people who did not choose one other yet are so important to each other. This greatly helps us to understand the meaning of communication as recognizing and creating closeness. When we lessen distances by growing closer and accepting one another, we experience gratitude and joy.
Fr. Robert Reed, a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and president of Catholic TV, will preside over the Mass at the motherhouse in Boston, which begins at 2 P.M. on Sunday, May 17. Refreshments and a brief presentation by Sr. Jennifer Thecla Hyatt, FSP will follow the Mass. For the address and directions to the Daughters of St. Paul, email us.
As for the color, I’m voting for green. Green is the color of Spring and conjures up images of growth and vitality. The Eucharist offers all of us growth and vitality in our faith lives. If you can’t make it on May 17, please take a few moments to pray for Catholics working in the media. We can use all the help we can get!