How the Diocese of Monaco has evolved during the pandemic

Despite the health crisis, the Diocese of Monaco has remained a bastion of support for the Principality, as well as continuing to help those in need in the Alpes-Maritimes department. Through their creativity on social media, the diocese has been able to remain ever-present in the lives of its followers.

Mass, outreach work and online training courses. Since the start of the pandemic, the Diocese of Monaco has shown up for its communities in both the Principality and the Alpes-Maritimes department. “There is no worse confinement than that of the heart!” says Monseigneur Dominique-Marie David, the Archbishop of Monaco.

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Social media connects the diocese to the people

“During the pandemic, there has still been life within our churches with religious celebrations as well as prayer ceremonies. The safety measures have led us to be very creative,” he explains. The Diocese of Monaco began posting their daily mass on their website, with other events also broadcast by news channel Monaco Info, before the diocese finally set up a live stream and also began posting clips on their YouTube channel. “The crisis that we are going through at the moment has allowed us to find other ways to help people in need.”

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and even LinkedIn: the Diocese of Monaco has been active across a variety of social media platforms for several years now and also has an online newsletter, named after Monaco’s diocesan house Agora. As well as this, the Diocese of Monaco has recently decided to no longer publish a paper copy of their bi-monthly magazine, choosing instead to pursue a more modern and eco-friendly digital format.

“Our diocese continues to respond to the needs of people living in Monaco as well as those living outside of the Principality’s catholic community by providing support to anyone experiencing hardship, be it social, psychological or economic.” During lockdown last year, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which helps disadvantaged groups of people, remained active. As part of their continued work, they regularly gave out shopping vouchers to the people often buying from the community grocery store.

The generosity and response from people in the Principality has really touched me
Monseigneur Dominique-Marie David, Archbishop of Monaco

International solidarity

“We continued to provide food and fraternal warmth to those who became even more misfortunate once the streets were empty,” explains Monseigneur Dominique-Marie David. “Our place in life is to be by the side of poor people and people in need, we must humbly inspire hope, as we do with our outreach work in the Alpes-Maritimes department, which has continued, and actually increased, during the pandemic.”

“The generosity and response from people in the Principality has really touched me,” reveals Monseigneur Dominique-Marie David, whilst recalling the painful memory of storm Alex and the floods that devastated the Roya Valley last October. “Our diocese did a lot to help victims in the valley, taking food and clothes straight over there, as well as buying quad bikes and electric bikes so they could reach the more isolated villages.”

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