Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - Some 30 Chinese Catholics, from different continents, have completed their course as the "evangelists" of cyberspace. Leslie (pictured), head of the Online School of Evangelisation, headquartered in Hong Kong, explains to AsiaNews that the internet is an effective means to make "the impossible possible, connecting Chinese Christians around the world for their evangelization,with a two-year online course which deals with the Church teachings on evangelization in the first year and the concrete activity of evangelization in the second".
The awarding of certificates at the end of the course, took place January 17 in a Catholic school in Hong Kong. Some of the 29 graduates came from afar to attend the ceremony, which was held in English, Cantonese and Mandarin and broadcast live over the Internet.
During the ceremony, Msgr. Dominic Chan Chi-ming, vicar general of the diocese of Hong Kong, pointed out how Christians, in this new technological environment, must make use of new media for the work of evangelization.
Father Giovanni Giampietro (also known as Yan Po-tak ) of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, supervisor of the online school, expressed his joy for students who want to become an instrument of Christ's evangelization.
Some graduates, who live in Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Holland and United States, spoke of the studies and their experiences via chat. Some told of their evangelization within the members of their family, non-Catholics, others of their choice of subject for their final project.
Joan, speaking from Sydney, via web, told of her final project on the evangelization of Guangdong, where she also treated the work of the Jesuit missionary Father Matteo Ricci. This led her to visit Macao, Guangzhou and Zhaoqing (both cities of Guangdong).
Helena, who travelled from the United States to attend the ceremony, said that as a final project for the exam she put together a video of her paintings and photographs to music and uploaded it onto You-Tube to share her faith with others.
Moses came from Shenzhen and told how he was attracted and helped in his faith by the course.
Maria, from Montreal (Canada), told AsiaNews that it was important for her to participate in this experience of online evangelization . She is now a volunteer tutor for the new school online-catechumenate course, that begun in 2009, which drew 333 participants from different continents.
The Online School began in 2005 and was attended by 1,923 students, although some have left school for personal, family, health, or work problems or for issues with internet connections. These will be given the opportunity to resume the progress and completion.
Leslie explains that in December 2009 there were 455 students in the current courses, including 116 graduates, 210 students in the first year and 129 in the second. Of these, 329 are from Greater China (including Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan). The number of students living in mainland China is increasing, probably due to the growing reputation of the course. The school uses English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese for written assignments, while in online chat English, Cantonese and Mandarin are used. This also allows the participation of Christians who do not speak Chinese, such as Indians, Filipinos and Chinese who were born abroad China. There are, however, few students from Europe and South America, she said.
The course is free of charge and includes evangelization in Bible and Church teachings, the history of evangelization in Africa, Americas and Asia, religions in Asia, and evangelization and liturgy and media.
Leslie also points out the usefulness of organized chat groups, held during the course, where the student can "speak regularly of their own faith experience, get help and prepare for evangelization".
