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Lonely Catholics
Topic Started: Wednesday, 8. October 2008, 12:56 (572 Views)
Mairtin
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The technology is certainly there, Rose, you could do this yourself with a webcam though the quality would not be great, you would really need a better camera, preferably wireless to avoid cabling and a very fast broadband connection.

In terms of cost, I'm guessing but for a low cost solution with single camera something like this I'd guess you could do something reasonable for less than £2K plus say £30 per month for the broadband connection.

For something better, you'd want maybe 2 or 3 cameras like this to give different views; I'd guess anything from £5K up to how deep is your wallet and maybe £100 per month for broadband.

I hadn't actually thought of this before, it could be much better than the radio receivers some parishes that I mentioned earlier use to broadcast Sunday Mass to the housebound; the only problem might be that a lot of the housebound are elderly and might not be comfortable using a PC to watch the Mass.

My local hospital has a CCTV version of this; both the Catholic chapel and the Protestant prayer room have a camera which is relayed over the TV's in the wards.
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Deleted User
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It's a good idea but technology is not the only problem. Their are copy writes and performing rights that need to be considered, people have been prosecuted for making wedding videos and not paying royalties to the music publishers. You also have to consider freedom of information, data protection and privacy laws. All of these things can be resolved but you would need a team in the parish who were able to give the time and expertise to set it up and run it.
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Rose of York
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Penfold
Saturday, 18. April 2009, 12:47
All of these things can be resolved but you would need a team in the parish who were able to give the time and expertise to set it up and run it.
If the wrong people were involved they might mess it up.
Keep the Faith!

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Derekap
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Some websites offer Holy Mass with a simple view of the Altar, the Celebrant and Altar Server(s). which is simple. Others do somtimes focus on the Celebrant, the Reader and occasionally the choir and congregation.

Purely as a lay Catholic and a lay cameraman I have videoed two Holy Masses in the ruins of an Abbey and (when wet) in the village church. I must admit I have not recorded 100% of the Holy Masses but most of them. I think an expert could do much better than me providing the lighting is reasonable and he/she knows the Holy Mass so can expect what is going to happen next. What I am trying to say is that it does not need a team of cameramen and professional lighting to provide a reasonable product.
Derekap
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Paduan
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I would certainly be able to rig up a 'web streaming' service (20ish years in IT, dontcha know!) and I've often thought about suggesting it. Mind you, I think my PP would probably be horrified by the prospect of being broadcast!

The technical issues are quite simple and I expect many presbyteries these days will have a suitable broadband connection to piggy-back the signal on, so it really wouldn't be an exceptional amount of money: just a camera, software and a basic computer. And of course a website for the parish suitably designed for the purpose. About the only physically tricky bit would likely be rigging up power for the camera at such a position as to give a good view without the congregation tripping over cables. That would require a professional cable-guy (or gal), mainly for Health and Safety reasons.

If anyone wants it done, I'm eager to rise to the challenge!
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
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Rose of York
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A lot of Catholics who get to Mass regularly are still to some extent isolated and//or excluded from parish life. I plan to give more details, but its a bit late now. I mentioned in an earlier posting, a lot of people are advised "have communion at home", but does it enter the parish priest's head that person might have talents to offer? Businesses are run from homes. A lot can be done from home, for the parish.
Keep the Faith!

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Rose of York
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Em.
Thursday, 28. May 2009, 13:02
KatyA

What do you mean by isolated Catholics? Those who live in the "sticks" or those who live in the midst of a town, two miles from the church and they are not cared for?

Sorry, I'm beatinf he old drum again.
Em that drum needs beating. You have mentioned, that you are stuck at home most of the time. I know you have the skill to design suberb websites. You are very competent with Information technology. Has it entered anybody's head that you would be the ideal person to do a parish website that would include scripture and evangelisation? Will they ask you to keep the rotas for people who do the cleaning, the flowers, coffee, reading, Extraordinary Ministers? If they were to give you those jobs, other people would phone you, asking you to put things in the newsletter, they would phone to say they were unavailable next week, you would call someone and ask them to stand in.
Keep the Faith!

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Em.

There are a fair number of Parishioners, men/women who are free, and able to spend a few seconds to deliver the Eucharist to sick people of the parish.

Then there are those who can do with company of others. Then the church herself can organise
fora small fee make a mini bus available to take old people on a short outing on a Sunday afternon.

I am NOT talking for myself here, when I want to go out I can, and I hate long visits as I have so much to be getting on with. But there are men and women that are dying on their own because noe one seems to care.

Allow me to go back in time, when I first arrived and happily sold my soul to this country. People used to talk to each other over the garden fence, and when one was ill there was always someone to pop in with a "cuppa." Now, she fence has been replaced with one 8ft high, your neighbour talks in a different tongue, your church calls on you once a year to collect whatver you care to donate.

Does this make sense to you? If it does not, then you are a young person and if you agree you will be nodding like that dog in the back window of a car.


Divine Mercy
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Em.

Rose,

My Parish does not have a Website. I did mention it once, I volunteered to take all the pictures which is in my capacity to do so. I was told that -"I'll be back to you on that" that was about 6 years ago, they must be still thinking. The problem is that in the 6 years I have got worse and I will not consider it now. One day I am ready to fly and the next I hardly drink a glass of water.

So, no volunteering for that, but I am not to be buied yet, if anyone saw my site on YouTube, you will appreciate that I am still fighting my way and |I am not ready for the halo yet.



Divine Mercy
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Rose of York
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Em.
Thursday, 28. May 2009, 13:48
There are a fair number of Parishioners, men/women who are free, and able to spend a few seconds to deliver the Eucharist to sick people of the parish.

Then there are those who can do with company of others. Then the church herself can organise
fora small fee make a mini bus available to take old people on a short outing on a Sunday afternon.

I am NOT talking for myself here, when I want to go out I can, and I hate long visits as I have so much to be getting on with. But there are men and women that are dying on their own because noe one seems to care.

Allow me to go back in time, when I first arrived and happily sold my soul to this country. People used to talk to each other over the garden fence, and when one was ill there was always someone to pop in with a "cuppa." Now, she fence has been replaced with one 8ft high, your neighbour talks in a different tongue, your church calls on you once a year to collect whatver you care to donate.
Em, they could organise a mini bus to get people to the parish hall for dinners, dances, sales. If they are imaginative they can ask if the persons they consider to be "the elderly" would rather do something than have things done for them. They could ask those people if they have talents, they could find out if those people are the best qualified and experienced to serve on their parish consultative council or finance committee. They could arrange a lift for them.

Hear this:
Popes over the age of 80 write encyclicals.
Sick Popes write encyclicals.

Old and sick Catholics are labelled, they are offered Communion at home whether or not that is what they want or need. Try pulling that trick on a Pope.

My health is good. My husband has a pretty serious disease. Sometimes he is unable to go out. On good days he walks, drives, goes out for meals. I have not been active on the forum much this week in daytime, because we had our family visiting. Twice, we took them out for pub meals. They left yesterday, so today he is resting. Next week he will go to the dentist. Admittedly, there are sometimes a couple of weeks on the trot when I must not leave the house for long periods, need to be on hand.

Three priests and one bishop have told me I can have Communion at home, because according to them, as a carer I am under no obligation to attend Mass. I made it clear, I am well versed in the Commandments of the Church, the decision about obligation is mine and mine alone, and if we are able to go to other places, we WILL be at Mass.

For nearly 30 years I owned and managed an accountancy parish, and the local University send two students to me for work experience. I am a trained catechist. The County Council wrote to me and my husband, asking us to be members of the County Disability Awareness Forum which advises the council, from the point of view of people needing accessibility, on any improvements that could be made. We were invited to submit questions to an Any Questions Panel, it included Bert Massey, chairman of the now defunct Disability Rights Commission and Peter White, BBC disability affairs correspondent. Peter was born blind, he is a journalist. A National Trust property and estates manager asked me to advise on improvements to accessibility. Those who want to hang on to their job told the parish priest that I have enough to do at home. They isolated me. i was asked if I would like a visitor to relieve loneliness, I have so many friends and so much company I sometimes hide away on a bench in the back garden, so I can read undisturbed, so why would I need their visits?

Now you know why I spend so much time looking after this forum, arranging sections, checking on new registrations to make sure they are not hackers, starting new topics. I wanted to do something for the Church, I was labelled as "housebound" and "too busy" so I found something myself.

"Have Communion at home", apart from that we will forget you exist.

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Does this make sense to you? If it does not, then you are a young person and if you agree you will be nodding like that dog in the back window of a car.

Not necessarily young. A lot of people very active in their parishes are elderly and in good health.

The problem, as I see it, is the patronising attitude, endemic in the Catholic Church, towards all, of whatever age, who have problems with health or disability, or have caring responsibilities. Their role is seen as recipients, not givers.

If this post comes across as angry, I AM angry about the complete waste of talent in our Catholic communities. I AM angry about the isolation of many, who could be involved in their parishes if their priests would open up their hearts and ears and listen to them, ask US what WE want. Even those who never go out, have something to offer. They need more than a weekly newsletter.

In the last three years of my father's life he continued his work as agent for our local MP, and did all the administration for a successful general election campaign.
Keep the Faith!

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Em.

Rose

You make a lot of sense, sadly younger persons will pass over without a second thought. Give them some years,or even when their body turns against them and they realized it made sense and they should have listened.

There are those who need help, and there are those, myself included, that wish to be left alone to get on with their life,. but that does not mean they should be ignored completely.

Do you appreciate that BT now has a system where you can phone peaple in England FREE of CHARGE, so who young parishioners take advantage of that and at least make a call to a sick person once a week?

As a young man, I was a member of the LOCAL LIBERAL PARTY, nothing to do with politics, but I used to visit senior people and fill their forms, write a letter to the Coulcil on their behalf. A young lady, who was my ages then used to go and do some shopping for then. ONCE a week, not a big deal.
Divine Mercy
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Rose of York
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Em.
Thursday, 28. May 2009, 15:41
Rose

You make a lot of sense, sadly younger persons will pass over without a second thought. Give them some years,or even when their body turns against them and they realized it made sense and they should have listened.
I don't think age comes into it. A lot of quite old people are very active, and there are young people in need. It comes down to stopping to think, consider, what one should do for others, and often that means treating them no differently from anyone else, asking THEM what they need or want.
Keep the Faith!

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Some years ago I copied the practice that was gaining popularity at the time, of inviting the Eucharistic ministers up and blessing them as they went out after mass. As part of the blessing I would name the people being visited and include them in a prayer. On one occasion a parishioner caught my arm after mass and said. “Why were you sending a minister to X they died a few years ago?" I assured them that X was very much alive but they were unconvinced. A few weeks later sadly X did die and after the funeral the person came over to me again and was truly contrite, "If only I had known X was still alive I could have visited them before he died."

On another occasion I observed a conversation between Y & Z in which Z expressed her delight at seeing Y for the first time in years, " I thought you had moved away after your husband died, such a lovely funeral." to which Y replied "No I just found it easier to go to the Saturday evening Mass because the bus doesn’t run on Sundays."

How easy it is to loose touch. The internet is a useful tool and I applaud this project, although I am not very computer savvy.
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Em.

Rose

Bercause of what you said, I am to build a YouTube page raising this question of old people. I nave already approach a few people whoagreed to give me what I need such as pictures (gifs) etc. Do you think that I can mentiion CyberForum in the hope it brings in more people? If the Vatican is advertising now, why not you?

Divine Mercy
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Rose of York
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Of course you may mention us, Em. All are welcome here, and that includes people who are not Catholic, but do have an interest in the Catholic faith. It makes no difference where they live, so your Maltese friends will be welcome.

If you want to make use of any of the links in our reference library, or in postings, feel free.
Keep the Faith!

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