On the occasion of the celebration of the World Communication Jubilee, this 26th January, Scala News asked some of our confreres to share their experiences and hopes as they carry out their mission working in the communication media. Here is a presentation by Father William Betonio, a Redemptorist working at Bom Jesus TV, at the Bom Jesus da Lapa shrine in Brazil.
In the midst of the Jubilee Year celebrations, TV Bom Jesus reaffirms its mission: to be a channel of faith and hope for pilgrims, the Pilgrims of Hope.
It was created to proclaim hope and be an instrument of Bom Jesus, reaching a multitude of virtual pilgrims.
The pilgrimage of Bom Jesus da Lapa was first broadcast on free-to-air channels in 2006. In the following years, there were other broadcasts and external productions. But in 2012, Bom Jesus TV took a big step: It hired the first members of an exclusive team at the initiative of Father Casimiro Malolepszy.
In 2016, we acquired our own equipment. Over the years, we evolved and faced several challenges, such as the pandemic, where communication was essential. In 2020, we organised Brazil’s first virtual pilgrimage, the Rosary of Men pilgrimage, a month after the beginning of the lockout, an initiative adopted by other shrines.
Today, we also produce documentaries, cover events outside the Bom Jesus da Lapa and produce reports for Catholic television channels in Brazil, such as TV Aparecida, Rede Vida and TV Pai Eterno. We broadcast live daily on YouTube, so TV Bom Jesus plays its role of evangelisation mainly on the Internet, with almost 1 million followers on its social networks.
In this Jubilee Year, the Shrine celebrates 334 years of history, with the theme We are pilgrims of hope with Bom Jesus and the Mother of Solitude. We reaffirm our mission to bring the hope of the Redeemer to all. Bom Jesus TV: the bond of faith that unites us, the hope that moves us towards the Redeemer.
Credits VT:
Images: TV Bom Jesus
Editing: Vagner Oliveira
Production and narration: Tamiris Batista
Technical coordinator: Roberto Costa
Director: Fr. William Betonio CSsR
