On Thursday, May 22nd, the Diocese of Brooklyn will host its 23rd Annual World Communications Day Media Conference at the Marriott Hotel at Brooklyn Bridge. This year’s theme chosen by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, is “Communication at the Service of an Authentic Culture of Encounter.”

Initiated in 1992, the conference’s purpose is to bring together, connect and create comradeship among print and digital journalists and executives from both secular and religious fields.

This year the Diocese will honor His Excellency, the Most Reverend Claudio Maria Celli, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, with our St. Francis DeSales Distinguished Communicator Award. He will also be the principal speaker for the occasion.

Prior to his appointment as the head of the Pontifical Council on Social Communications, Archbishop Celli served as Undersecretary for the Relations with States and as President of Vatican Television Centre and Vatican Film Library. Archbishop Celli was one of the originators of the Twitter account @Pontifex, now with over 13 million followers in different languages. Pope Francis is currently the most followed religious leader in the world and, after President Barack Obama, the most followed Head of State.

The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will present the honor. The program includes breakout sessions featuring: Father Matt Malone, S.J., of America; Mary Poust of Not Strictly Spiritual; and Teresa Hanafin of the Boston Globe, who was recently named editor of the Globe’s new website that will cover Catholicism and the Catholic Church. Panelists include John Demarchi, Founder and CEO of Social Czar; Grant Gallicho, Associate Editor of Commonweal; and Tonia Ries, Founder and Editor of The Realtime Report and Founder and CEO of the Modern Media.

In Pope Francis’ message for World Communications Day, he acknowledged the importance of creating a culture of encounter, highlighting how media should always be a service which goes out to meet others. He wrote of the Internet: “Let us boldly become citizens of the digital world,” adding “the Church needs to be concerned for, and present in, the world of communication, in order to dialogue with people today and to help them encounter Christ.”

“The revolution taking place in communications media and in information technologies represents a great and thrilling challenge; may we respond to that challenge with fresh energy and imagination as we seek to share with others the beauty of God,” noted the Holy Father.

The keynote address will be live streamed on www.netny.tv. NET TV is a cable network featuring news and information with a Catholic point of view, and is available in the New York area on Cablevision, channel 30, and on Time Warner Cable, channel 97, and nationally on Verizon Fios on Demand.

The conference will begin at 1 p.m. and will conclude with a reception at 4 p.m. A media room will be available and there will also be a Q&A session with Archbishop Celli after his keynote address. Press are encouraged to RSVP for the conference.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Stefanie Gutierrez
917-587-2784
sgutierrez@desalesmedia.org

Rocío Fidalgo
718-517-3118
rfidalgo@desalesmedia.org