Encouraging encounter. Sharing evangelical values. Being an agent for interior and social change… making a difference.
This 60th World Communications Day (17 May 2026), and its theme Preserving Human Voices and Faces, offers a timely invitation to reflect on how communicators share the Gospel in today’s media landscape.
As a Communications Manager within a religious congregation, I recognise this day not simply as a celebration of story-telling, but as a call to authenticity, responsibility, and mission.
We need faces and voices to speak for people again. We need to cherish the gift of communication as the deepest truth of humanity, to which all technological innovation should also be oriented.
Communication in our context is more than content creation—it is ministry. We aim to make a difference through our content and the way we choose to communicate – from stories on our websites and social media, to feast day videos, external media placement and internal communications.
Every story we tell, every image we share, and every voice we amplify is designed to share the mission, ministry and values of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart. We also hope our stories inspire, inform and provide spiritual guidance – especially when we promote the work of Sisters and the legacy of our Congregational co-founders Saint Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods.
For some context, World Communications Day was established by Pope Paul VI in 1967, in the wake of the Second Vatican Council and occurs each year on the Sunday before Pentecost. Over the decades, papal messages have addressed evolving media landscapes and technologies.
For this year’s celebration, Pope Leo XIV reflects on the ever-growing impact of Artificial Intelligence tools and platforms – something we as communicators face daily – not least trying to manage the many interesting AI interpretations of St Mary MacKillop out there!
Do not renounce your ability to think… Although AI can provide support and assistance in managing tasks related to communication, in the long run, choosing to evade the effort of thinking for ourselves and settling for artificial statistical compilations threatens to diminish our cognitive, emotional and communication skills.
As new technologies continue to reshape how we communicate, we as a team try to ensure each story, each video, publication or image continues to reflect the mission, vision and values of the Congregation. For us, authenticity is key – reaching our key audiences wherever they may be.
This year’s World Communications Day theme encourages us to preserve what is deeply human: our voices, our faces, and our stories. As we celebrate on 17 May, we thank God for the media that has helped us retell our Congregational stories. We acknowledge the responsibility to use our media channels conscientiously, reflecting truth and encouraging supporters to join us on our Josephite journey.
Louise Carson
Communications Manager, Congregational Administration Services