SIGNIS is a worldwide Association with members in approximately 100 countries in the world. Our members are Catholic media professionals working in diverse fields who share our vision of harnessing the power of the media to promote a culture of peace. They make what our Association is today, and we want to honor their commitment by sharing their stories and experiences with SIGNIS. The first one to do so is Joseph Sinasac, a long-time SIGNIS Member from Canada.
How did you hear about SIGNIS and when did you join the SIGNIS family?
I’ve been involved with SIGNIS since the mid-1990s. I had become Publisher/Editor of The Catholic Register newspaper in Canada and we were part of a national organization called the Association of Roman Catholic Communicators of Canada, which itself was a member of what was to become SIGNIS. Now that I am the Publishing Director for Novalis, I have continued my involvement, but from the perspective of a book and magazine publisher.
Could you tell us more about your role at SIGNIS?
Over the years I have often represented Canada as a delegate to SIGNIS gatherings, especially of the North American group. Often my role was to voice Canadian concerns and bring our country’s support to the international efforts of the organization.
Are you currently working on any exciting projects you would like to share?
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, our publishing house had to rapidly adapt to the digital environment. We did this through introducing more videos from our authors, increasing the number of free downloadable resources for parishes and schools, and organizing a series of webinars on topics of great concern to Catholics. These range from a webinar on Mass in an Age of Pandemic, to ways to remain spiritually healthy caregivers, to discussions on papal encyclicals such as Fratelli Tutti and Laudato Si’. We often partnered with other organizations to make these resources available to a large number of people. Some of our webinars had more than 500 participants and the video recordings on Youtube remain very popular.
From your personal experience, what have been the main benefits of joining our Association? What do you cherish the most?
There have been many great moments and unexpected friendships. The best part of SIGNIS is, of course, the people. I have developed rich and lasting relationships with Catholic communicators around the globe. One of my most cherished memories is helping to organize the SIGNIS Summit in Quebec City in 2017, where we were able to combine the resources of SIGNIS, our Canadian Catholic communicators and the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada to put on an amazing program, including a live interview with the great American film director Martin Scorsese.
What message would you like to send to people interested in joining SIGNIS?
Join! You will meet committed, passionate and talented people who share with you the same mission of Catholic communicators everywhere. You will get a chance to pray with them, work with them and become lifelong friends in a great cause.