The first multi-color Church periodical launched by a group of media professionals last month gets encouraging response but needs lay collaboration, its editors said.

Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of Pontifical Commission for Social Communications, released the pilot issue of the Feb. 12 in New Delhi.

A group of Church communicators headed by Jesuit Father Jacob Srampickal mooted the idea of a publication that “respects the Christian reader” as a means of faith communication.

The pilot copy was released with title “Companion,” which is awaiting final clearance from the Registrar of Newspapers of India.

The usual quesiton “why another magazine?” will be answered by the “the magazine itself,” Blessed Scarement Father Jacob Naluparayil, the publication’s chief editor, said in a press release.

The magazine published from Kochi aims to “draw in laity” to help make it professional and readable “to all Christians, not restricting to elite academicians,” the release said.

A team of experts met several times to chalk out the content and design of the magazine. The three pilot issues scheduled for February, March and April will set the trend of the magazine before hitting stands as a fortnightly, it said.

The magazine is committed to look at life events through the vision of Jesus,” the priest said in the release.

“The response to the Pilot copy has been very encouraging and enthusiastic,” said Bambina Sister Leela, executive editor of the new publication.