New social media provides opportunity for New Evangelization

Father Hesse uses Facebook to communicate with parishioners. Robbie McGuiness for South Texas Catholic

In his message for the 43rd World Communications Day in 2010, Pope Benedict XVI said that the new form of social media “can offer priests and all pastoral workers a wealth of information and content that was difficult to access before, and facilitate forms of collaboration and greater communion in ways that were unthinkable in the past.”

Pope Francis too has embraced social media and has tweeted more in his first couple months than his predecessor did during his whole papacy. In getting ready for this year’s 2013 World Communications Day on May 12, the Holy Father continues the theme that social networking is a powerful means of evangelization.

Following the papal lead, many in the Church are using social media. A number of parishes and schools in the Diocese of Corpus Christi have Web sites that provide parishioners information on sacraments, personnel and events. However, because of its limitations, Web sites cannot always carry real-time events. Instead, some parishes have embraced the pope’s message and find it more convenient to disseminate local parish events on a social network site, such as Facebook.

Facebook has become an easy way to communicate a message to an even broader community at no cost. St Pius X is among one of a number of parishes in the Diocese of Corpus Christi that is embracing social media as part of the new church culture. Father Paul Hesse, pastor at St. Pius X, created and administers the parish’s Facebook page.

“In some ways I communicate with people on a broader basis. People are actively reading on Facebook…and there’s an interaction,” Father Hesse said. He feels Facebook is an effective tool for evangelizing and keeping parishioners informed.

Readers build a relationship with each other from exploring the St Pius Facebook page, Father Hesse said. He said that his members like to use Facebook to request an appointment with him or ask for prayers. Facebook seems to be a convenient way for members to reach him.

Although it increases his workload, as parishioners bypass his secretary and go straight to him, he insists that Facebook is “mostly positive”. While Father Hesse tries to post daily to his Facebook page to keep his members engaged and informed he has never had a single negative post. He remains positive that social media will continue to have a large impact on building relationships in the church.

Incarnate Word Academy uses Facebook to communicate local school news, events and student achievements. Different from the mission and makeup of a parish church, IWA ministers to elementary, middle and high school students in various academic programs. The Director of Technology & Communications, Priscilla Ramos, manages the Facebook page with the help of many others who send her photos, events and achievements.

Ramos believes Facebook is a conversation between the organization and its followers. The church, like any business, needs to listen to its audience, she said.

She receives pictures or news updates from fellow staff and parents on a regular basis. Ramos believes the constant streaming of information to parents on the Facebook page is effective and appreciated, especially for those who cannot always be at every event.

Despite the Facebook page being effective, it takes a lot of time and effort by the administrator. The biggest negative IWA parent feedback “is not being quicker to post events.” The IWA Facebook page was created in 2009 and has grown to 1,699 followers, double their current 2013 enrollment of 813.

Facebook has many benefits that can enhance a parish’s relationships and evangelization efforts. However, the Church cautions users of the potential abuse of social media. It provides policies that encourage parishes, schools and other ministries to use when engaging in social media.

Pope Benedict XVI, in January 2013, continued to urge engagement in social media but to ensure it is in a manner that is safe, responsible and civil. He pointed out that inherent with the anonymity of social media comes potential negative exchanges that could turn volatile in a matter of minutes on the Web. Careful discernment of language must be monitored constantly.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops provides parishes with guidelines and best practices to help launch an effective social media network. These guidelines are not hard and fast laws, but common sense rules that parishes should follow to keep digital communication respectful and safe. It is important to note if not effectively implemented, a parish organization will not see the intended results.

The USCCB guidelines state to have two adults designated as the administrators of the site. This allows for rapid responses, constant monitoring and regular posting. To have an effective Facebook page, comments must be posted at least once a day and should meet parish needs. Comments should be written in the first person, not claiming to represent the positions of the church or the parish name itself. The objective should be to spread the message of God’s love to a broader community and in doing so must practice Christian charity at all times when posting comments.

Social media is a useful evangelization tool that has been endorsed by the Vatican but it must be used–like the parables of Jesus–to invite others to an encounter with the mystery of God’s love in a creative and respectful manner. The Pope encourages us to find “true friendship” to satisfy that human longing for community.

Building relationships through online social media can support the Church’s mission. Facebook allows the Church to make more connections, share more information and engage more people in dialogue. Social media, properly used, can be a useful tool to help strengthen local parish communities.