Two new faith-based digital initiatives – from the Redemptorists and the Jesuits – have launched in recent weeks, bringing spirituality resources for students, teachers and families right to people’s phones or laptops.
Majellan Media has launched a free App to help families with their faith and relationship issues.
The App has all Majellan media content in the one convenient place and includes the latest podcasts from Majellan’s Figuring out Families series, the latest news, and articles providing sound advice and spiritual nourishment to help families thrive.
Exclusive content from The Majellan magazine which has been published quarterly in print form for more than 70 years is also featured. Articles are free to read in full and are available to share with family and friends.
New digital faith resources will help families, students and teachers. PHOTO: Shutterstock.
Figuring out Families is a podcast series designed to provide practical advice on family and relationship issues. The series brings together experts in family relationships, including a marriage counsellor, to tackle the many and varying issues families face today.
There’s also access to the Majellan weekly newsletter which has thousands of subscribers. Other features include prayers for families; request for prayers; weekly articles; books on faith and families from the Majellan Bookstore; and Scriptural meditations and reflections.
Majellan Media CEO Tony Biviano says the new App brings together faith, spirituality and family advice in an entertaining and easy to understand way.
“A sense of spiritual impoverishment is thought to be a major contributor to depression and anxiety, which is rising at alarming rates in Australia and throughout the world. Each week we publish reflections and prayers to help the many people who are suffering and feel spiritually undernourished,” he said.
“Over the years Majellan has helped thousands of families through our print and online resources and that wealth of experience can now be found on this App,” says Mr Biviano. “At the end of the day we just want to help families be the best that they can be.”
More information on the app is available at www.majellan.media
Meanwhile, Jesuit Communications Australia has launched the Australian Catholics Education Hub and Teachers’ Forum to serve the Catholic education sector in this its 200th year – and into the future.
The Education Hub, which at launch serves 400 subscriber school communities around Australia, connects students, parents, teachers and staff with a range of resources including an archive of more than a thousand articles, reflections, quizzes, classroom activities, prayer and liturgy resources. The Education Hub also features directories of Catholic retreat providers and speakers as well as a downloadable calendar of feast days and days of observance that can be synced to a smartphone or electronic calendar.
The Australian Catholics Teachers’ Forum, creates a dedicated space where, for the first time, religious education teachers, formators and coordinators, as well as directors of faith and mission within the Catholic education sector around Australia can share ideas and resources within and between their existing networks. It complements online, existing face-to-face networking opportunities through Religious Education Co-ordinator and other networks, and for the first time extends that networking to staff at 400 schools right around the country.
The Hub and Forum, sit within the AC+ subscriber section of a new Australian Catholics magazine website. All AC+ subscribers have access to the Education Hub and all staff from subscriber schools have access to the Teachers’ Forum using their usual login details.
“We have over the past two years, been in ongoing discussion with Catholic Education Offices, teachers and formators around the country about their needs, challenges and priorities,” said Jesuit Communications Australia CEO Monika Lancucki.
“The last 12 months, in particular, have shown a need for those responsible for the education and faith formation of young people to have ready access to resources and a dedicated place to exchange ideas and suggestions about how to engage young people in their exploration of faith and spirituality.
“This new platform responds to that need and, for the first time opens up existing networks to regular intra- and inter-diocesan online exchange of ideas and collaboration. Our articles integrate with the various Religious Education curricula around the country and are signed off by a diocesan censor, independent of our ministry, prior to publication, giving comfort to teachers, parents and students that they are safe to use for religious education purposes.”
A webinar to take subscribers and potential subscribers on a tour of the new site and Teachers’ Forum is scheduled for 4pm Tuesday 8 June. Details of how to access the webinar are available on request: editor@australiancatholics.com.au.