Bishop of Dunedin endorses new Catholic virtual platform

Bishop of Dunedin endorses new Australian Catholic virtual platform

Thursday, July 1st, 2021

The Catholic bishop of Dunedin, Michael Dooley, is endorsing a new Catholic virtual platform developed in Australia.

“Using the technology available enables us to support and inspire each other. The more we can do together, the better we can make connections, that will enliven us and enable us to carry out the mission of Christ,” Dooley says.

The platform’s developers came together from three long-standing and wide-reaching Catholic networks: the Pastoral Ministry Network, Christian Initiation Australia Network and the Mission Planners Network Oceania.

They launched the platform to inform the upcoming Assembly of the Plenary Council – the first the Catholic Church in Australia has held since the second Vatican Council – and to enliven Catholic faith communities.

Australian bishop Parramatta’s Vincent Long saying is also keen on the platform.

“I fully support the Alive in the Spirit Conference, and warmly encourage you to take full advantage of this excellent initiative.”

The virtual platform offers a range of Australian-sourced keynote addresses, workshops, prayer and worship spaces and interactions with an array of Catholic organisations offering services and networking opportunities.

Alive in the Spirit organisers say each workshop experience is available until the end of 2021, offering “a 30-minute video, designed to inspire, enrich and provide practical insights in the topic area addressed.”

Organisers say the workshops are suitable for individual faith enrichment and professional development, or for group sessions with catechists, RCIA teams, youth groups, pastoral councils, parish/school reflection days, or faith-sharing groups.

There is a long list of beneficiaries of the new platform’s inspiration and support, including both “lay people and clergy, staff, leadership teams, finance teams, pastoral councils, pastoral ministers and volunteers, those in education, counselling, pastoral care, youth ministry, family ministry, aged care and chaplaincies and anyone who wants to be Alive in the Spirit.”

Source