Kildare & Leighlin diocese using social media to promote peace
Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare & Leighlin is the latest bishop to join the Twitter social media site, as part of a campaign to spread a message of peace online.
For the last 11 years, the Kildare & Leighlin diocesan ‘Reach Out’ initiative has seen hundreds of thousands of gifts such as candles, icons and fridge magnets being distributed to parishioners.
This year, the diocese has handed out 42,000 packets of chamomile seeds for people to plant, with a greeting card featuring an image of the side altar of Carlow cathedral and the message ‘Seeds of Peace & Hope’. Bishop Nulty also opened the @PeaceKandle Twitter account to send a daily message on the theme of peace during the Advent and Christmas period.
“This year, we decided to do something different with the chamomile seeds and the Twitter idea,” Bishop Nulty told The Irish Catholic. “Through social media, we wanted to send out a message of hope and peace.
“Often social media can be used in times of trouble to spread a message of violence. I am suggesting in addition to planting the seeds, we also might use the twitter feed #PeaceKandle to spread our message of Christ’s peace.”