The Good News and the needs of the time
Fr. IRENEUSZ SKUBIŚ
When I visited Sweden I had the opportunity to see a very modern paper mill. It was a huge factory that produced tons of paper. When you visit such a mill you realise how many things have been changed in the world recently. The talks with people who are competent in editorial works make you reflect on our daily life. We are living in the time of enormous technological development. Computer systems have been implemented in every field of life. We all use computers. This is a global phenomenon and it influences the work of our editorial board as well. I remember my beginnings as an editor for ‘Niedziela’ 27 years ago. Faxes did not exist then. After they were applied other tools were invented, and they have changed our way of work completely. When somebody wrote an article for us we received the registered letter at Stradom Railway Station. Most materials were collected in that way, which was the quickest one. ‘Niedziela’ had only 8 pages. Currently, we publish over 230 pages weekly, including the diocesan editions. It is made possible because of the electronic systems and modern technology. The youngest generation, children and young people, have got used to computers and the Internet so much that these tools are just ordinary equipments whereas old people must learn how to use computers to benefit from technological achievements. It especially concerns the world of the media since it is based on the most modern ways of transmitting information. We can see this modernity in the Catholic press, too. We have been using the most modern forms of communication, which does not only make our work easier but is also necessary to contact people and other institutions. At present one can also evangelise through the Internet. One can send the Good News about Christ to various recipients in the whole world, even to the Chinese, because the world is said to have become a global village as far as the contemporary way of interpersonal communication are concerned. Naturally, this is a big chance for evangelisation since the teaching of Christ is not still known to many societies. Missionaries work in all continents and nobody and nothing can replace them, but many people who are not able to go on missions can proclaim the Good News through this modern way – the Internet.
The editorial board of ‘Niedziela’ has been using many modern ways of communication. For example, we have inserted a film about the visitation of the Picture of Our Lady of Czestochowa to the latest issue of ‘Niedziela’. It was on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the peregrination of the picture in Poland. Every month we propose our readers one book of the New Testament. As we want to use more methods of modern evangelisation we insert a CD with the first part of the Gospel of Saint Mark, read by the well-known actor Jerzy Zelnik. The second part will appear on 2 December. And for the issue dated 16 December we are preparing a CD with the most beautiful Christmas carols performed by the famous Choir of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, conducted by Rev. Professor Kazimierz Szymonik. I am very glad that it was Professor Szymonik that decided to let us use one of his best recordings.
I wholeheartedly encourage you to listen to the first recording of Saint Mark, interpreted by Jerzy Zelnik and accompanied by excellent romantic music. You can enjoy listening to such an exceptional recording of the Gospel text. I have listened to it with great interest. Many people value such recordings. So let us get this issue of ‘Niedziela’ with the recording. I hope our Readers will like this initiative and we will more often gorge ourselves on this beautiful Gospel text.
"Niedziela" 47/2007