Saturday, March 12, 2016

Leaflets help evangelization ‘go viral’

Posted by Herbert Curia - Promoter at Saturday, March 12, 2016 0 comments

From the Website of CBCP
links: http://www.cbcpnews.com/cbcpnews/?p=74175

Leaflets help evangelization ‘go viral’

PASIG City, March 11, 2016 – As the Catholic Church marks the third anniversary of Pope Francis’ election to the Office of Peter on March 13 an educator revealed how a time-proven instrument has been enabling Christians respond to the Holy Father’s ever present call to evangelization.

In the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) alone, just by leaving them in an open box, some 12,000 leaflets were distributed from August to December. (Photo: Raul Nidoy)

“Executive Summaries”, one-page leaflets containing key facts and points of Catholic doctrine designed for mass distribution, all started as a response to the confusion brought about by arguments pushed forward by advocates of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill.

Catechesis, no. 1 need

Dr. Raul Nidoy, Director for Formation of the Parents for Education Foundation (PAREF), printed and also posted online the leaflet “Science Facts on the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill” which immediately went viral.

It was printed and shared by other individuals thousands of times, published in mainstream media, adapted by organizations as their leaflet, posted in the internet, and translated into Tagalog and Cebuano.

“Production of leaflets on other topics of interest went to high gear due to the result of our survey that the number one need of Filipinos is basic catechesis,” shared the educator.

Spreading in the Philippines

According to Nidoy the leaflets were designed to be easily reproduced by anyone.
“In the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) alone, just by leaving them in an open box in one lobby, 12,000 copies were distributed from mid-August to Dec. 31. And since anyone who gets a leaflet can make as many copies as he wants, they have been shared, and re-shared, in schools, offices, parishes, etc.”

Nidoy cited recent experiences of professionals who, in the midst of their ordinary work environment, turned themselves into effective “agents of the New Evangelization” with the use of the leaflets.

He said Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chairman Atty. Eugenio “Toto” Villareal’s stock of leaflets always gets used up.

“Dr. Rudy Ibanez, former President of UNILAB, posts them in his Viber group that reaches people all over the world.”

On his part Joel Aurellano, a member of Servants of the Lord’s Vineyard, called the leaflets “very potent tools in promoting the Church teachings and in dispelling any misconception about issues.”

Nidoy gladly reported that Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati is printing out the leaflets for free starting this Lenten season.

“It was a most pleasant surprise when the parish priest, Fr. Renato de Guzman, explained that this is precisely their type of apostolate because the name “Salesian” comes from St. Francis de Sales who converted 72,000 Calvinists through leaflets since they rejected his visits!”

“The dream is for these leaflets to be available in more parishes and secular places like offices, condominiums, parks, stores, etc.,” he added.

Each person, a Catholic evangelical library

Since the “Executive Summaries” are printed or posted online free of charge, anyone can display the leaflets and ask for donations to print more. Or they can use the leaflets to raise funds for their apostolic projects or their organizations by printing them and selling them.

“In this way, we help provide not just the greatest knowledge of all, the clear and fresh teachings of Jesus Christ, but also some bit of support to the apostolic work of people and their groups,” Nidoy explained.

Executive Summaries one-page leaflets can be downloaded at http://primacyofreason.blogspot.com/ (Fr. Mickey Cardenas / CBCP News)

CBCP Website

http://www.cbcpnews.com/cbcpnews/

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