CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Czech Republic: Medals of Ss. Cyril and Methodius awardedThe Medal of Ss. Cyril and Methodius was awarded to the representatives of religious orders, congregations and communities of the diocese of Brno by its bishop, Mons. Vojtech Cikrle. The solemn act took place on the occasion of the 17th World Day of Consecrated life celebrated on 2 February. The meeting in the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul was opened by lecture of P. Jeroným Frantisek Jurka, provincial of the Order of Friars Minor, followed by the pontifical holy mass. Mons. Cikrle expressed his gratitude for prayers and sacrifices of consacrated persons for the God’s kingdom, and consigned the Medal of Ss. Cyril and Methodius to the superiors of religious orders and congregations as a "symbol of life fully devoted to the service to God". Currently, there are 38 religious orders, congregations and communities of consecrated life in the diocese of Brno.Slovakia: international cooperation of two Catholic radiosA mutual exchange of experiences, discussion about important topics of Church life in Slovakia and Hungary, proposals for improvement of effectivity of work, and preparation of a book about the international project "On the waves of friendship" were the topics at the center of the meeting of representatives of two Catholic radios – Radio Lumen from Slovakia and Szent István Radio from Hungary. It took place on 4 February in Banská Bystrica. Since July 2012, both institutions have been participating on the project of partnership in the area of broadcasting, based on the exchange of materials in form of radio reportages, mainly in regard to life of the Catholic Church in both countries, as well as essential environmental issues in the middle-European countries. "We are very glad to see that our relations are developing in a good way, full of mutual respect, and I’m grateful to God for it", said Juraj Spuchlák, general director of Radio Lumen. According to Mons. Istvám Szarvas, director of Szent István Radio, the meeting focused mainly on presentation of future aims and challenges regarding the cooperation. The next meeting of representatives of both institutions is planned for 23-24 March in Banská Bystrica, and it will include the possibility for the listeners to meet their favourite radio personalities.Ukraine: new face of Christian magazine "The Word""Our magazine wants to provide a man of the present-day world with the eternal Christian truths in an accesible and understandable way, to show the relevance of the Gospel and Christian teaching", said Roman Terletsky, theological editor of the magazine "The Word" in Ukraine which has recently received a new form and a new distribution strategy. "The appeal of the blessed John Paul II for new evangelization demands that we – Catholic lay people – not only know about faith, but that we are willing to explain it intelligently, to defend it with love and to share it effectively", explains Ulyana Andrusiv, chief editor, adding that the slogan of the magazine is "We talk about everything, but in a Christian way". The all-Ukrainian Christian magazine is issued by the publishing house "Apostle". The idea of its creation was introduced in 2011. Gradually, the magazine started to be distributed all around the country and the need to expand it arose. From 2012, the magazine began to be published every two months, with more pages and sections. In 2013, the subscription to it was initiated. Its purpose is to promote the Gospel values, to introduce the history of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the faith of people, who created it, to deliver the Good News to the readers by representing the view of the Church on complex issues of the present day with a fresh modern style, in full color graphics and in innovated form.
