The Internet Needs High Quality Catholic Content

Catholics (and the Gospel in general) are a feeble voice in the hurricane of media messages generated by a rather out-of-control culture. Many Catholic voices on the Internet seem as poorly informed as they are vocal…

1)      Support the gifted Catholic teachers and preachers who are already online.

When we find an authentic and artful Catholic teacher or preacher online, we can support them by:

• sharing their posts, podcasts, articles or videos on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites
• commenting on their messages
• contributing to their discussions
• subscribing to their site using the RSS feed
• signing up on their mailing list if they have one

These actions affirm their work and improve their search engine ratings, so that others will find them more easily.

2)      We can invite talented teachers and preachers to get online.

If we look at our parishes, dioceses, catholic organizations and religious communities, we will find people who can write and speak authentically and with authority on the teachings of the Church in ways that are clear and compelling. They are experts in the fields of spirituality, morality, liturgy, scripture, religious education, evangelization, social justice, marriage and family life, stewardship, vocations, sacraments, etc. We have preachers who can inspire us to live our faith more fully by their ability to bring scripture into our lives in such a way that calls for a living response. 

We want these people online if they are:

• passionate and knowledgeable about their mission and ministry
• able to articulate an impactful and engaging message
• committed to producing a post or podcast once a week, a video or slide show at reasonable intervals
• willing to review their sites weekly and respond to questions or comments as needed

If the teachers and preachers provide the content, people with technology expertise can get it online for them.

If we want more people to use the Internet for mission, we need to get more of our best teachers and preachers online. Look around, speak with your colleagues. Is there someone whom you can you invite to this important ministry? Go to them and make your case.