Catholic Communicators in Africa Urged to Look Beyond “build networks” to Spotlight Church Initiatives
Catholic journalists in Africa have been challenged to look beyond their immediate institutions, build networks, and actively seek out initiatives within the Church that often remain unknown to the wider public because they are not adequately covered.
Kigali, 11 August, 2026 / 9:51 pm (ACI Africa). Catholic journalists in Africa have been challenged to look beyond their immediate institutions, build networks, and actively seek out initiatives within the Church that often remain unknown to the wider public because they are not adequately covered. In an interview with ACI Africa in Rwanda’sCatholic Archdiocese of Kigalion August 5, the Project Coordinator for theFocolare Movementin Eastern Africa said Catholic journalists should not limit their reporting to activities taking place within their own organizations or Parishes, but should establish connections that enable them to discover and publicize other initiatives. “My encouragement to journalists is this: wherever you work, whether in a Catholic organization or a parish, do not limit yourself to your immediate environment. Build networks,” Chris Onyonka said on the sidelines ofa “Sports for Peace” initiative’s eventthat was organized by the Focolare Movement on August 5at the Groupe Scolaire Karembure Schoolin the Kigali Metropolitan See. Referring to the August 3-8first-ever SIGNIS World gathering to be held in Africa, where Catholic communicators from around the world met to discuss ways of strengthening communication for cultural harmony and environmental well-being, he added, “I am happy that this congress is creating opportunities for Catholic journalists to network. ”“Many people are doing remarkable work, but because they are not connected to journalists, their work remains unknown,” Mr. Onyoka said, noting that journalists have an important responsibility to identify initiatives that could benefit from greater public attention. He urged Catholic journalists across the African continent to report on activities taking place outside their immediate institutional settings, saying, “They should always be willing to look beyond their own institutions and discover what others are doing. Cover stories from other organizations as well, because many good initiatives simply have never been brought into the public eye. ”The Focolare Movement official made the invitation to the Catholic journalists in the context of their participation in the 6-day SIGNIS World Congress, which concluded on August 8 in Rwanda, pointing to the discovery of the Sports for Peace initiative as an example of how such encounters can expose journalists to stories they might otherwise never encounter. “You came here because of this gathering. Without it, you might never have known about Sports for Peace. More opportunities like this would help journalists discover and share many more inspiring stories,” Mr. Onyonka told ACI Africa. He noted that communicators play a key role in helping the people of God understand what is happening in their communities and that opportunities for journalists to interact with people involved in different Church initiatives can help bridge the gap between those doing meaningful work and the wider public. “Journalists are really the eyes of the community. They are the ones who identify what is happening and bring it to the attention of the wider public,” Mr. Onyoka said, proposing regular gatherings of Catholic journalists within individual countries as one way of creating opportunities for information sharing and identifying stories that deserve public attention. He said, “Catholic journalists within a country could meet perhaps three times a year simply to learn about new initiatives taking place within the Church and Catholic organizations that deserve publicity. ”The Focolare Movement official emphasized that the invitation to journalists to cover initiatives such as Sports for Peace is not primarily about seeking visibility for the organizations involved, but about sharing experiences that can inspire others and contribute to society. He said, “We would always be happy to welcome journalists whenever we have activities—not simply so that we can be seen, but so that what we are doing can inspire others and contribute to building a better society. ”“I also want to encourage you to continue the good work you are doing and to keep strengthening collaboration among journalists,” Mr. Onyonka said during the August 5 interview with ACI Africa. Among the African countries whose Catholic Journalists were represented at the 2026 SIGNIS World Congress are Rwanda as host, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Togo, the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Zambia, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Benin, South Africa, and Mozambique.