The Diocese of Venice in Southwest Florida will break new ground on Christmas as it plans to air its 11 a.m. Christmas Day Mass live on television for the first time in the church’s history.
The diocese normally tapes and then airs its weekly Mass on SNN on Comcast Cable, but this week the Mass will be beamed live via satellite.
“We have better capability now, we switched production companies,” said Diocese Communications Director Adela Gonzalez White. “Bishop Dewane thought it would be a good idea and would reach more of the homebound.”
The broadcast will be aired throughout the five-county Southwest Florida region on WFTX-TV (FOX-4) and on SNN on Comcast cable.
The diocese will televise its 2009 Easter Mass at 11 a.m. in the same format.
The diocese hopes the televised Mass becomes somewhat of a tradition, this being the first of many years to come.
“We hope it will become a tradition,” Gonzalez White said. “We’re really excited about it. Hopefully it’s not the last one. We’ll continue to try and reach more and more people.”
The Diocese of Venice serves a Catholic population of approximately 237,00 in 10 Southwest Florida counties through 57 parishes and 14 Catholic schools.
For more information, contact the communications department of the Diocese of Venice at 941-486-4702.