Catholic Church leaders must learn to understand and to speak in the "new language" of mass media and "digital culture" while recognizing the challenges they pose for faith and theology, Pope Benedict XVI said Feb. 28. "(I)t is not just a question of expressing the Gospel message in modern language, but also of having the courage to give more profound consideration ... to the relationship between the faith, the life of the Church and the transformations mankind is experiencing," the Pope remarked this past Monday. He addressed participants in the full assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications who are meeting to reflect on language and new technology.

The Association of Catholic Publishers announced that it will bestow a Lifetime Achievement Award to Mary Prete, vice president of parish services of the J.S. Paluch Company. This award is granted for the many years of her dedication to working professionally in the Catholic book publishing industry, and her significant accomplishments that have advanced the industry.

The Catholic Church is graced with a little-known reality: Many survivors of sexual abuse by priests have remained Catholic. One such survivor, T. Pitt Green, has written Restoring Sanctuary about how her wounded faith was healed. As she wanders through a caring but uncomprehending world, the author is repeatedly drawn into encounters with holy priests, devout religious, and upstanding lay Catholics. Now active in a ministry of reconciliation and outreach in her own diocese, Teresa Green published this book on the birthday of her bishop in gratitude for the safe home created by his pastoral care.

A diocese in a bustling northern China metropolis welcomed 243 young people into Catholic Church this year, thanks in part to an online evangelization effort by local parishioners. Last year the Diocese of Tianjin held a solemn celebration at the Cathedral of Xi Kai for the catechumens, who received Baptism, Confirmation and first Eucharist. According to statistics released by the cathedral, the 243 newly baptized are an average age of 32 years-old. Fides news reported that the collective effort was launched by the parish and the pastor under the theme "Everyone has to preach, and (live) in service." Hundreds of volunteers and catechists used online evangelization initiatives to reach out exclusively to local young people and internet users.

The Fellowship of Catholic University Students' new mobile phone app FOCUS Equip connects Catholic users to "dynamic resources" for evangelization, Bible study leadership and discipleship. "While our resources are targeted to students on FOCUS campuses, they can also be helpful to all Catholics for use in their parish, with their families, or wherever they might need it," said Kevin Cotter, director of FOCUS Equip on Feb. 6. The app will help student leaders and missionaries "continue to thrive in the faith" and reach out to friends and family with "the life-changing message of Jesus Christ and His Church," Cotter added.

Crisis Magazine re-launched its website on Feb. 7, after being recently acquired. The magazine's new leaders are promising to focus on providing a Catholic perspective on politics, culture, business, faith and family life. "You can count on Crisis Magazine to be what it always was," said editor John Zmirak, who summarized the magazine as "a firm, insistent voice on the rights of the laity and the dignity of the priesthood; a partisan of justice and prudence in the face of misguided compassion and ideology; a staunch advocate of the compatibility of reason and faith, of honest enterprise and Christian living, of American patriotism and orthodox Faith."

Family Theater Productions, founded in 1947 by Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, serves families using mass media to entertain, inspire, and educate families. Recently, the ministry announced that they are refocusing their resources to better position their mission in their service to families. The significant change in the organization's mission will be the transitioning of the Angelus Student Film Festival to new sponsors.

Liguori Publications of Liguori, MO is pleased to announce that Michael C. Gregory has accepted the newly created position of director of digital publishing at the Roman Catholic publisher. In his new role, Michael will strategically position Liguori to meet the growing demand for e-books and content on-demand. He will establish and implement company-wide digital workflow, as well as further the creation and production of digital products by building new organizational capacities.