QUEZON City, Sept. 16, 2013—The Dominican Province of the Philippines has launched its presence online through its official blog called “iLumen”.
A maiden project of the Dominicans’ Office for Social Communications of the Institute of Preaching (IP), the site serves as the official blog of the Dominican Family in the country.
Fr. Christopher Jeffrey Aytona, assistant director of the Institute of Preaching, said that through the blog, they hope “to reach those who are fond of using the internet, especially the youth.”
Following the Dominican tenet “Contemplari et Contemplata aliis tradere” (To contemplate and to share the fruits of one’s contemplation), the blog offers reflections on the life and ministry of the Order of Preachers in the country.
It can be accessed by logging in at ilumenpreachingblog.blogspot.com.
Fr. Louie Coronel, OP, who serves as the head facilitator of iLumen, said the blog is a response to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis’ challenge to Christians to preach through the internet.
“Despite the seemingly bottomless capacity of the World Wide Web to fuel toxic exchanges that quickly devolve into name-calling and ruthless skepticism, Pope Benedict XVI still managed to illustrate the urgency and necessity for the faithful to be online, where so many people spend their time, especially the youth,” Coronel said.
“The emeritus Pope has significantly underscored that the social media can be a tool for lovingly bridging divisions between people,” he added.
The Dominican Family in the Philippines is composed of priests, religious brothers and sisters, nuns, laity, clerical fraternities, youth, and affiliates.
The blog already contains reflections from Jun Banaag, OP, also known as “Dr. Love,” Edna Bustamante-Roa, OP, and Sophia Baylon, OP of the Dominican Laity; Fr. Ric-Zeus Angobung, OP of the Dominican Clerical Fraternity of the Philippines; Sr. Ma. Lorenza Sajul, OP of the Congregación de Religiosas Misioneras de Santo Domingo; Fr. Clarence Marquez, OP, IP director; Weldann Lester Panganiban of the Institute of Preaching Lay Missionaries; and Maria Celina Castro of the Dominican Network Youth Group.
Officially launched on July 7, the blog “iLumen” also includes prayers and recent Church documents, such as Pope Francis’ encyclical “Lumen Fidei.”
“The name ‘iLumen’ suggests—drawing from the Latin meaning of ‘lumen’—becoming instruments of light through this blog,” Aytona explained. (CBCPNews)
