Friday, February 04, 2011

Catholic Tech

Over the past several ears, our culture has become increasingly bound to our technology. We're device-oriented now in a way we never were before -- I've seen people on campus walk across the street wearing headphones and texting without even looking first.

Some churches has seen declining numbers, and often the people want to blame this on their style of worship. The music might be too "traditional" or "boring." Using social media in a service may be frowned upon. Or maybe, as it is in my church, going to Mass is set aside for worship, and so unrelated conversation happens before or after that.

The world today wants to connect and be engaged everywhere they go. For youth, it might seem like the only way to get their attention is with flashy lights, rock bands and iPhone apps. (Of course, this certainly doesn't apply to every kid or young adult, but it's definitely becoming more common.

What is the Catholic Church doing to keep the attention of our changing media and society? The answers might surprise you.

At the recent address for the World Day of Communications, Pope Benedict gave an important piece of advice to young people: "Make good use of your presence in the digital world." And he gives us a good example to follow. The man has his own Facebook application and YouTube channel.

There are also quite a few very useful Catholic apps for the iPhone/Pod/Pad. Some of these include iMissal, which offers the daily Scripture readings and prayers used at Mass for the next 50 years; Confession, an app that is password protected and helps penitents prepare to confess with questions and prayers; and iPieta, an app that includes the full Liturgy of the Hours, writings of the saints and popes, and Scripture. The Bible is also available in virtually every translation you can think of. They are all worthy investments, for sure (though in full disclosure, I only have two of those).

It's certainly a good time to be alive for Catholic techies. :) Though sometimes, it's necessary to pull away from it all. I'm leaving now for retreat with my Catholic Campus Ministry friends, my last as a Rowan student. Check back next week for a reflection, and please keep us in your prayers.

1 comment:

  1. One of the hardest things is to balance the "old" ways with the new. Both have value. Leaving the device behind or turned off for a few hours can be a challenge to our young people, but the experience of being present in mind, body and soul will be worth it.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your interest in my blog! Please remember when commenting that this is an academic assignment, and while I will gladly answer any questions about Catholicism, I will only be able to respond regarding my own personal faith to a certain extent. If you would like to engage me about *my* faith, feel free to contact me privately. Peace! :)