The importance of the church bulletin
The other day I met Fr Edward Rakgokong. Ordained two years ago, he looks after five semi-rural Church communities. He has to travel long distances to reach his pastoral placements, and celebrates only two Masses for each of his communities in a given month. But every Sunday his communities have a parish bulletin. Through the bulletin, he is always present.
He does not even have a photocopy machine. The parish leaders write the material. He compiles and edits the stories. A volunteer parishioner types them during her work lunch break, another volunteer photocopies the material at his house. The complete bulletin gets distributed in all the communities. The sales help to raise funds for his “poor” pastoral district.
Many parishes throughout the country have some sort of parish bulletin or newsletter. The parish bulletin is a primary means of communication between the various parochial representatives and organisations and the members of our parish family. It is intended to keep parishioners informed of current and future activities within the parish and surrounding area.
The parish bulletin’s origin dates back to the early 20th century. Bulletins were the successors to pulpit announcements. Some wealthier parishes began to put out handsome monthly pamphlets as long as a century ago. These included parish news, devotions, and exhortations from the priest. The invention of machines that could mass-produce paper copies eventually influenced the way parishes communicated.
Church bulletins today are an important communication tool for parishes. All the vital information relating to parish life—a staff directory, prayer meetings and Mass times—is included in each week’s bulletin, along with featured items such as perhaps a priest’s column and a community events calendar. It provides brief capsules of information on virtually every active ministry.
The parish bulletin is as valuable today for sharing important information. Long announcements after Communion can be tedious and time consuming. The SACBC’s “Pastoral Introduction to the Order of Mass” suggests: “Announcements, when required, should be brief enough for the congregation to remain standing.” Instead parishioners can read the announcements at home.
But parish communication is not just a matter of convenience. For Christians, communication is as important as community or Communion. Communication is an essential part of Catholic teaching as in Revelation, Incarnation, Resurrection and Salvation.
I see the parish bulletin as a necessary tool of evangelisation. Throughout history, the Church has been the first to use the tools available at the time to communicate as far and as wide as possible. The first book ever printed was the Bible.
It is our duty as Christians to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ’s teachings. “Always be prepared to give an answer for what you believe”(1 Peter 3:15). Through the bulletin we can learn our faith and share it lovingly with the community. The bulletin can benefit those unable to be present at the Sunday Eucharist, such as mothers nursing babies, those who have to work, those in hospital or prison, and even lapsed Catholics.
In order to spread the Good News, we are called to use any and all means available to communicate the message of Christ’s lasting salvation. We are called to be disciples and profess our faith. We are called to reach out to tell the stories of life in our parishes that bring out Christ’s message in everyday life. It is unfortunate when we do not use tools and technologies at our disposal to spread Christ’s message to awaken the power of faith.
Aetatis Novae encourages Catholics to participate in the evangelisation mission of the Church using instruments of social communication. These are:
1) to equip leaders to understand, interpret and speak the “new language” of the news media culture;
2) to equip all Church ministries with media literacy skills;
3) to comprehend and respond to the social justice significance of the new media age and its impact on the development of peoples and cultures;
4) to equip Church leaders and ministers with skills to use the mass media and new technologies; and
5) to design an integrated pastoral communications plan central to the ministries of the Church.
It does not cost Fr Rakgokong much to publish a one-page bulletin. He has made it a shared experience. It only takes a willingness to communicate Christ.
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