Media apostolate group launches DSMC bootcamps

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH continuously adapts to new technology to preach the Gospel to everyone. In line with this impetus, She opens Her arms to train Catholics on how to responsibly use media by imparting relevant skills and knowledge in media literacy, media asset training, and creative content production for the sake of the proclamation of the Gospel to as many people as possible.

Dominican Students’ Media Center (DSMC) is an apostolic group of the student-brothers in Dominican Studentate which exists to help the Church in proclaiming the Gospel through various means of social communication. Since the pandemic, the need for preaching through new media in digital form has become essential to encourage and give hope to the faithful who were confronted by struggles brought about by the pandemic. The need for the people who produce quality creative content and to operate new media platforms is urgent. Therefore, DSMC deemed it necessary to provide relevant training to all student-brothers as livestreaming operators, cameramen, video editors, and drone operators.

This Formation Year 2022-2023, DSMC scheduled various training programs which were dubbed as DSMC Bootcamps. For the first term, four of which were implemented. First, there was a continual skills updating program for livestreaming and camera operators. With the assistance of DSMC members, student-brothers were assigned per week at the DSMC livestream booth to have a first-hand experience in using the livestreaming software as well as in operating the cameras. The assigned brothers are in-charge of livestreaming the rosary, lauds, and conventual Mass in the morning. Later in the evening, they also livestream the Office of Readings and vespers.

Aside from the student-brothers, some altar servers of Santo Domingo Parish are also being tapped from time to time as volunteers in the DSMC booth. Some of the altar servers have already been assigned to livestream during novenas to the different Dominican saints

ShortCat: DSMC Continues Online Catechetical Program

“HI! WELCOME sa ShortCat ang inyong online companion for bite-sized catechesis!”, says the ShortCat intro which explains its nomenclature – it is a short catechism. It aims to provide catechetical inputs sourced from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Sacred Scriptures, and other Church documents through a three to five-minute video for Catholics online.

There is an adage that says, “You cannot love what you do not know”. For the faithful to appreciate and love the faith, they must first be instructed and be enlightened by what they believe. Because of this, the student-brothers thought of simple ways to explain the mysteries, dogmas, and doctrines of faith in short and simple terms for the people. Launched in 2019, ShortCat was spearheaded by now Rev. Mervin G. Lomague, OP as director and editor, and Br. Joenner Paulo L. Enriquez, OP as host. It began as a weekly program uploaded every Sunday through DSMC’s Facebook Page and DSMC Studio’s YouTube Channel. It premiered its first episode “Ano ang Credo?” on August 21, 2019, piloting its twenty-three-episode season, which was followed by a series on the Articles of Faith, Sacraments and concluding with the Simbang Gabi special series on December 23, 2019. This formation year 2022-2023, the ShortCat videos delved into topics about the importance of physical attendance in holy mass, exemplary Filipino Dominicans, and notable events in the Catholic liturgical calendar such as the La Naval festivities.

ShortCat was well-received by its viewers, especially catechists, religious teachers, and even catechetical commissions of different dioceses throughout the country. Selected episodes were used by the different parishes and schools such as the University of Santo Tomas. Currently, ShortCat has uploaded fifty-three episodes in over four different seasons, fifteen of which are from the current season. The project remains and continues to be one of the student-brothers’ avenues for preaching and evangelization in the digital age, through social media engagements, collaborations, and exposure. BR. RAE AARON A. AGUILAR, OP and the 4:00 PM Parish Mass every Sunday. The second bootcamp, Photo/Video Editing and Audio Recording Capacity Building Workshop, was held last August 3-6, 2022. The said program was facilitated by Br. John Rheed M. Caturza, OP, whose “Peregrino” video received a Special Citation from the 41st Catholic Mass Media Awards last 2019. He trained the brothers in using Adobe Photoshop photo editing software, Adobe Premiere Pro video editing software, and FL Studio 20 music software applications. A day-long bootcamp on Publication Management and Layout was led by Br. Eugene Dominic V. Aboy, OP, the previous Editor-in-chief of The Varsitarian, the official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas.

DSMC collaboration with Cubao Media transforms passion into mission

of

SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT in 2017, the Diocese of Cubao Social Communications Ministry has been loyal to its mission to proclaim the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the Church’s first document recognizing the importance of utilizing the available means of social communication and media, Inter Mirifica affirms that: “It is the Church’s birthright to use and own any of these media which are necessary or useful for the formation of Christians and for pastoral activity” (IM 3).

In 2018, the Diocese of Cubao Social Communications Ministry, also called “Cubao Media,” first took part in the coverage perience on the part of the

Mr.