Malayalam Catholic weekly to launch US edition

(November 19, 2010) Malayalam language Catholic weekly Sunday Shalom, read by members of all Churches in southern India’s Kerala state, will reach out to overseas Christians through its US edition that hits the news stands this weekend. Benny Punnathara, chief editor and chairperson of the Shalom Media Group, told Ucanews that the advertisement-free newspaper would help in the Church’s growth and renewal. “There was a need to re-evangelize Christians from India living in other countries,” he said. The 12-page US edition, with a four-page English language section, will carry news about the Catholic Church from all over the world. It will also include features, inspiring stories, testimonials and the teachings of the Church. Santo Kavilpurayidam, who has designed the newspaper and is coordinating the edition from Dallas, Texas, told Ucanews that it will be bi-weekly initially, but planned to be a weekly later. The organizers also plan a full English edition for new generation migrants who are not familiar with Malayalam, Kerala’s native language. The newspaper has readers among Protestant and Orthodox groups in India, as well as the Catholic Church’s Latin and the two eastern-rites – the Syro-Malabar and the Syro-Malankara rite Catholic Churches.