Video Ministry is also a teaching ministry at Holy Family
For 15 years, the Video Ministry at Holy Family Church in South Pasadena has been shooting up a storm --- on tape, of course.

Every Sunday, the 9:30 a.m. Mass is filmed with four cameras, with the tape later sent to three cable companies for broadcast throughout the week. Five teams of 10 parishioners make up the ministry; each team rotates Mass duty.

In addition, the ministry is responsible for preserving special parish events for archival purposes such as First Communions, church anniversaries and school productions. Educational programs --- like regular Bible studies discussions --- are also videotaped and made available for purchase.

"Our teams are a mix of adults and teenagers," says Dawn Ponnett, producer of Holy Family Productions. "We have a lot of high school and junior high students who are learning the craft from professionals in the film business. It's very much a teaching ministry."

Ponnett says that the idea for videotaping important parish events --- and the weekly Mass which is helpful to the homebound --- came from a young parishioner. "Frankie was just a sophomore in high school, but he saw this being done in Lake Arrowhead," explains Ponnett. "He had a dream back then. Today, he's in TV production in Arizona, I hear."

Indeed, that one boy had connections with local cable companies that borrowed equipment to start the ministry. Later, items were donated and little by little, pieces were purchased.

"We had lots of hand-me-downs at the beginning," says Ponnett with a laugh. Team members, she says, always came with tool kits to do some last minute fixes.

Today, in addition to videotape, the ministry is also responsible for recording the weekly Gospel and homily and making them available on the parish website for podcasts or home computer listening. "We are using this technology to our advantage," says Ponnett.

Marriage Encounter Weekends planned in Diamond Bar
Couples wishing to deepen their marriage commitment can join in a selection of WorldWide Marriage Encounter weekends taking place at the Ayres Suites in Diamond Bar.

Dates for 2007 include Sept. 7-9, Oct. 19-21 and Nov. 30-Dec. 2 (dates are subject to change). Registration is limited. For more information, contact Tony and Kristy Vena at (909) 469-6588 or visit www.weds2.homestead.com.

Discussion on pope's theology at St. Joseph Center
Dominican Father Brian Mullady will lead an upcoming talk on "Pope Benedict's XVI's Theology of the Mass" on Aug. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Joseph's Center in Alhambra.

Father Mullady, ordained in 1972, is a professor of theology at Angelicum University in Rome as well as Campion College in San Francisco. He is an author and has hosted programs on the EWTN television network.

There will be a free-will donation for the lecture. For more information, call (626) 289-0223. The Center is located at 507 N. Granada Ave. in Alhambra.