Faithful and Creative Disciples in a Wounded World: A Communicative Paradigm for Mission

Faithful and Creative Disciples in a Wounded World: A Communicative Paradigm for Mission
SVD Mission in Contexts: Creative Responses in a Wounded World
Kasmir Nema, SVD

Introduction: Reclaiming Mission through Communication

In the shifting contours of the 21st-century world—marked by digital transformation, ecological crisis, social fragmentation, and renewed spiritual longing—the Catholic Church stands at a communicative and missionary crossroads. The Jubilee Year 2025, framed by the theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” offers a unique ecclesial moment—a kairos—to reflect on how the Church embodies and transmits its mission in wounded contexts. At the heart of this reflection is a pivotal insight: communication is not auxiliary to mission, but intrinsic to it. It is through communication—understood not merely as information transfer but as relational, dialogical, and symbolic engagement—that the Church becomes a credible witness to the Gospel.

This essay examines the communicative dimensions of the Church’s missionary identity within the theological and pastoral horizon of Jubilee 2025. It argues that the Church must transition from monological proclamation to synodal dialogue; from doctrinal assertion to incarnational witness; and from hierarchical control to co-responsible participation. Drawing inspiration from the charism and praxis of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), the work situates missionary communication within a spirituality of encounter—one that is deeply rooted in the mystery of the Word made flesh. In this emerging model, the Church is envisioned as a pilgrim communicator—listening attentively, discerning faithfully, and proclaiming courageously in the language of diverse cultures, the wounds of the world, and the silence of the Spirit.