ACTION POINTS FROM MAY 2018 PLENARY SESSION OF THE GCBC.

RE: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS.

JOB DESCRIPTION OF DEPSOCOM DIRECTORS/COORDINATORS

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

1. Must be trained to a minimum of a First Degree level in any two of the following areas: Public Relations, Journalism, Digital media, basics in Radio and Film production.

2. Must be trained in communication skills, both oral and writing to be able to produce and deliver quality reports.

JOB DESCRIPTION

1. Must be a full time
2. To implement diocesan policies on Communication
3. To liaise with the National Communication team as well as other relevant stakeholders in communication.
4. To form Diocesan and Deanery Communication teams (include more of the youth). Must encourage the same teams in Parishes.
5. To serve as the Public Relations Officer of the diocese.
6. To identify and strategize effective ways of employing the various available communication tools for the propagation of the word.
7. To disseminate information on activities that take place in the Diocese via:
   1. Publications in the traditional media
   2. Social media
   3. Radio
   4. TV
   5. Newsletter
   6. Posters
   7.  

8. To produce and distribute Catholic Teachings
9. To create a Photobank of the diocese including close-up photos of all priests both dead and alive (if possible all religious) in the diocese.
10. To organize ongoing formation for priests in delivering effective homilies, human relations communication etc.
11. To advise the Bishop on issues of communication in the diocese and outside the diocese.
12. To be responsible for Press/Media relations
13. To be part of the organization of major events of the Diocese.
14. To undertake any other activities that may be assigned by the Local Ordinary.

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS (DEPSOCOM) HO DIOCESE

Director: Rev. Fr. Samuel Edem Eco Kornu

The mission of the Holy Catholic Church is to evangelize.  Decree on The Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica, December 4, 1963. No. 1, 2 and 3 are of the view that “Among the wonderful technological discoveries which men of talent, especially in the present era, have made with God's help, the Church welcomes and promotes with special interest those which have a most direct relation to men's minds and which have uncovered new avenues of communicating most readily news, views and teachings of every sort. The most important of these inventions are those media which, such as the press, movies, the radio, television and the like, can, of their very nature, reach and influence, not only individuals, but the very masses and the whole of human society, and thus can rightly be called the media of social communication.

The Church recognizes that these media if properly utilized, can be of great service to mankind since they greatly contribute to men's entertainment and instruction as well as to the spread and support of the Kingdom of God. The Church recognizes, too, that men can employ these media contrary to the plan of the Creator and to their own loss. The church trusts, moreover, that the teaching and regulations it thus sets forth will serve to promote, not only the eternal welfare of Christians but also the progress of all mankind.

The Catholic Church, since it was founded by Christ our Lord to bear salvation to all men and thus is obliged to preach the Gospel, considers it one of its duties to announce the Good News of salvation also with the help of the media of social communication and to instruct men in their proper use.”

The above background necessitates the need for the Department of Social Communication in every diocese.

Ho diocese over the years has been very active in promoting the image of the diocese on the various social media.

The Department of Social Communications (DEPSOCOM), through the provision of strategic leadership and technical support, works with other departments of the Diocese of Ho, in ensuring that the Church's mission and objectives in social communications are achieved.

The DEPSOCOM has the mandate to co-ordinate the Diocese’s evangelization ministry through Electronic, Print, and Social media. The role of DEPSOCOM is to ensure liaison between the Diocese of Ho and the General Public; and also supports the dissemination of the social doctrine and teaching of the Church in the media.

Until the advent of COVID-19, much of our activities were limited to reports of activities in the diocese to the Catholic Standard. However, a lot has changed during this pandemic; some equipment had been acquired to enable us to reach the faithful virtually. The DEPSOCOM was very active in making sure the faithful are not deprived of their spiritual needs. I want to say that the team worked hard to sustain the faith of the faithful during this trying moment.

Following our mandate as a diocese to be witnesses to the Good News ‘till the end of the earth’ (Acts 1:8), several individual priests and Lay Faithful, through their own initiatives and sacrifices, secured air times on some radio stations as well as use their private social media handles to preach the Word of God and teach the Catholic Faith to all peoples. But officially, DEPSOCOM airs the following programs:

1. "SE WO HALA GOME" on Swiss 93.7FM in Ho every Thursday evening at 8 pm. This program has indeed sustained the faith of the faithful before and during the Covid- 19 era.
2. Weekday Holy Masses from Tuesday to Friday live on our Facebook page "Catholic Diocese of Ho has served to provide the daily spiritual needs of the faithful.
3. Sunday Holy Masses live on our Facebook page, our YouTube channel, and also live on Swiss 93.7FM at 8 am and on Lukusi Radio at Ve Golokwati at 10 am.
4. The DEPSOCOM Ho has also been active in the update of the Diocesan website which could be assessed via http://hocatholicdiocese.org.

It is our hope that in the future, all the needed equipment will be acquired for the smooth running of this department. We will also recommend that a bus or pickup should be given to the department to ease the transportation of personnel and gadgets.

There is currently a team of some young men and women volunteers assisting the Director in the discharge of his duties.

It is our belief that more can be achieved and more faithful can be reached with the needed support from individuals and societies in the diocese.