Michael Kelly, SJ, Secretary of JESCOM Australia, is the founder and director of Church Resources in Sydney. This organization provides an extensive array of internet-based services for the Australian Catholic Church, including a daily church e-news service, web discussions and meditations, a church e-directory, design and construction of websites for church organizations, discounted rates for telecommunications, etc. Explore some of their excellent and creative initiatives at www.cathtelecom.com or www.cathnews.com, and www.spiritlive.info (for church website design).

JESCOMEAO Secretary Jerry Martinson and Special Assistant Augy Loorthusamy attended the annual assembly of Signis Pacific (Catholic communicators in the Pacific/Oceania region) in Nadi, Fiji, May 18-25. They conducted several workshops on production, new communication technologies, advocacy, media literacy, spirituality of the Christian communicator, theology of communication, etc. About 30 Catholic communicators from 13 countries in the Pacific were present, including Msgr. James Gould, SJ, from the Marshall Islands and some colleagues of the Jesuits in Micronesia. During the week, they also met with Mr. Peter Thomas of Albert Street Productions, Sydney, to discuss an on-going Signis project aimed at facilitating worldwide distribution of religious programs and products of Catholic producers.    

With the encouragement of Novice Director, Philip Heng, SJ, Jerry Martinson visited the Jesuit Novitiate in Singapore and gave the 23 novices a presentation on Jesuit communication apostolate. About half of this bright and lively group of novices are from East Timor.

Kuangchi Program Service is now preparing a second daily English TV series -  this one for elementary school children--due to begin broadcast on September 1^st. KPS has also been contracted by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education to produce a TV series on foreign brides in Taiwan, a growing social problem, and another on ongoing education for the elderly. The KPS TV series on handicapped persons is expected to resume soon. Kuangchi is also actively exploring the possibility of co-producing a TV drama serial in China about the famous Ming Dynasty Shanghai Catholic and companion of Mateo Ricci, Paul Hsu Kuangchi, after whom Kuangchi is named.

KPS is now leasing unused office and studio space to the following communication organizations: Kuangchi Cultural Group (Kuangchi Press), DigiSeed Educational Technology, Super TV Network, ESPN/Star Sports Satellite Network Mandarin Section, and Brothers Multimedia. These organizations are all related in different ways to the work of KPS. Their presence is a source of information, ideas, contacts, stimulation, and welcome financial stability.

JESCOMEAO Special Assistant, Mr. Augy Loorthusamy, is also Vice President of Signis, the international Catholic Communications organization based in Brussels. In this capacity, he attended the Signis World Board Meeting in Lima, Peru in April and the Signis Malaysia/Singapore/Brunei Regional meeting in Kuala Lumpur in June. These activities help link the projects and activities of JESCOMEAO with the communications ministry of the Church throughout the world.