Popular networking site Facebook is helping Goa's longest surviving Konkani weekly printed in Roman script and promoted by Catholic priests, stay afloat.

Social networking is a buzz word for 'Vavraddeancho Ixtt (V-Ixtt)' the Konkani magazine which was launched to reach out to peasants during the Portuguese era in Goa.

Father Feroz Fernandes, Editor-in-Chief, V-Ixtt, said "the magazine has received tremendous readership among the younger generation after it went on social networking website (facebook)."

The publication, which turns 78 tomorrow, is in Roman, a language popular with the Catholic community.

Fernandes said since its launch on facebook a year ago, the magazine now has a dedicated fan following of more than 2,000 people and several lakh visitors read it online.

V-Ixtt gets around 1,000 hits weekly.

"We are getting a lot of young readers, whom we would have missed if we were just in print edition because of physical limitations," Fernandes said.

The magazine has started a column, 'English-Konkani mix bhaji', a humorous piece which has become a USP for the effort.

"When youngsters log on to read this English column, they also browse through Roman Konkani articles," the Editor- in-Chief said.

The purpose of going on the social networking website was to give a platform to Konkani language, he added.