For many people, the first visit to a Catholic parish no longer begins at the church door. It begins with a Google search, a Facebook post, an Instagram video, or an invitation on a phone — and increasingly, that first encounter is being shaped on purpose.
Meet the Catholic Church of Philadelphia’s new team of digital missionaries, whose mission is to encounter people where they are: scrolling.
In June, for example, Instagram users browsing their feeds came across a “hidden gem” in Havertown, the new Sacré Coeur Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. Denis Church, open 24 hours a day.
The reel showed off the chapel’s beauty, but it wasn’t built to keep people scrolling. It was built to provide anyone — not just Catholics — with the opportunity to spend time with the True Presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
“The digital world is often the front door,” said John Cardone, director of the Digital Missionary Hub. “But the goal is always to help someone move toward a real relationship with Jesus Christ, His Church, and a community of faith.”
A Missionary Presence Online
Cardone and digital missionaries Morgan Hurlock and Chisom “Chiz” Ogbodo are part of Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez’s Trust and Hope initiative, the long-term effort to reach out to people in our communities and help them encounter the love of Jesus personally. Missionary work is at its heart.
Just as missionaries at the five physical missionary hubs go to where people are in their communities, the digital hub team finds people where they are online.
Through reels, mid- and long-form videos, and the Hallow app, they invite people into prayer, answer questions about the faith, and point the way toward a parish, a sacrament, or a real conversation with someone who can walk with them.
Hurlock, who created the Adoration Chapel reel, is a recent revert to the faith and a graphic designer.
“With the Sacré Coeur Chapel reel, we wanted people to stop scrolling and see something beautiful — but more importantly, to realize that this beautiful place is an invitation,” said Hurlock. “The chapel is open to anyone who wants to come and spend time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
“That’s what I hope our work as digital missionaries can do: meet someone wherever they are, even if that’s on their phone, and give them a reason to take one more step toward Christ, toward the Church, and toward a community where they can encounter Him.”
Stories From the Field
Ogbodo is beginning work as a digital storyteller in the field. His goal is to bring stories that would otherwise stay local to people who haven’t met this Church yet.
Shorter content will help those stories reach new audiences. Long-form stories will introduce readers to the people, programs, and progress shaping the Church across the region.
“I want to tell the stories that might otherwise go unnoticed — the people who are quietly living their faith and loving others every day,” said Ogbodo. “When I enter a community, I’m not looking for a photo opportunity. I’m looking for the people already doing that work, and I want to earn their trust so I can tell their stories faithfully.”
“For me, faith and craft have never been separate. Every cut, every frame, and every hook should help someone stay long enough to feel something true, and maybe take a next step toward Christ and His Church.”
In September the digital hub team’s content began taking on a more focused approach.
“Each month, we will highlight a particular missionary hub, Church ministry, or special initiative while continuing to respond to seasonal moments and timely needs,” Cardone said.
The digital team’s job is to make the virtual church doors visible with a welcoming message of invitation and hope: the light is on and the door is open.
While the digital hub team’s work starts with a camera and a feed, the hope is that it ends with someone sitting in a quiet chapel, before the Blessed Sacrament, realizing the invitation on the screen was for them.
Watch and Learn More
Watch the Sacré Coeur Perpetual Adoration Chapel reel: Hidden Gem in Havertown
Find a place for Eucharistic Adoration: Adoration Finder
Learn more about the Trust and Hope Initiative: Trust and Hope
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