Church ‘Called to Be Salt and Light’
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG | July 27-Aug. 16 | Volume 79, Number 18 ON TWITTER AND SOCIAL MEDIA... Church ‘called to be salt and light’ STEVE LARKIN “There’s so much pablum and garbage out Catholic News Service there, and so we need to stand up and be the voice of the Truth with a capital ‘T,’” said Eliz- WASHINGTON | Pope Francis has abeth Westhoff, the director of communica- said that shepherds “should have the tions for the archdiocese. The archdiocese began its social media smell of the sheep.” For some bishops presence in 2008. and their dioceses, that means going “Social media then was considered ‘new on Twitter. media,’ and we said that, if it’s new, we should probably be on it,” Westhoff said. “Bishop (David A.) Zubik (of Pittsburgh) “We hope that we can start conversations was very clear: If he can meet people in a with social media. We have so much to share particular way, he wants to do it,” said Nick -- 2,000 years of faith and teaching and his- Sciarappa, the digital media strategist for the tory and tradition.” diocese. “Twitter is one way we can bring lo- People respond to the tweets on the arch- cal content to Pittsburghers.” diocesan and the archbishop’s Twitter ac- One of the main features of the diocese’s counts. “The messages we get, especially on Twitter feed is a weekly series of videos where the archbishop’s account, are interesting. someone in the diocese reflects on a Gospel He’ll get a lot of prayer requests from people reading. who are struggling, and the archbishop will In the videos, which are about two to five tell them he’ll remember them while say- minutes long, people from the Diocese of The Twitter application is seen on a phone screen in 2017. For some bishops and their ing Mass or reach out to them personally,” Pittsburgh describe what the Gospel reading dioceses, using Twitter has become an effective way of reaching the faithful. (THOMAS Westhoff said. means to them and how they apply it to their WHITE, REUTERS | CNS) In the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, own lives. Bishop David L. Ricken was motivated to Sciarappa said that the videos’ popularity requests, which he prays for and invites any- Archbishop Smith is “probably the most make his own Twitter account after Pope has grown more than he expected. one who sees them to do the same. popular archbishop in Canada who tweets Benedict XVI made one in 2012. “I started off by asking people that I knew In the Archdiocese of Edmonton, in Alber- personally,” Ho said. “Following the pope’s example, the bishop to be good preachers, but the videos gained ta, Canada, a 2016 effort by Archbishop Rich- He doesn’t do all the tweeting from his own wanted to get into Twitter,” said Matthew Liv- so much traction that people started asking ard Smith led to the archdiocese increasing account, and Ho said you can tell when the ingstone, the social communications director if they could do them,” he told Catholic News its focus on social media. archbishop wrote a tweet himself. “If there for the Diocese of Green Bay. Service. “We want to use Twitter as an evangeliza- are no hashtags or pictures, it’s the archbish- The bishop believes that saying the name “We have so many talented priests, dea- tion tool and a means of communication,” op. If there are hashtags or pictures, it’s not.” of Jesus on Twitter is important. cons, laypeople, members of religious orders said Lincoln Ho, the social media specialist On occasion, the archdiocese finds itself “He speaks to the audience that follows his -- all of it in our diocese, and the videos let us for the archdiocese. “We’re trying to reach out the subject of trolling, which is making delib- account, but he also writes prayers to Jesus highlight that.” to the youth audience.” erately provocative online posts in the hope of which he tweets,” Livingstone said. The reaction has been very positive. He mentioned that since the archdiocese eliciting a reaction. “In these spaces, we’re called to be salt and “The main thing I’ve been hearing is that covers a large geographic area -- central Al- “We get people trolling because Arch- light,” Livingstone said, and the bishop be- people didn’t know that Pittsburgh had so berta -- the Twitter account gives them an- bishop Smith is big on pro-life issues, both lieves that saying the name of Jesus is a key many talented Christians willing to share the other method to broadcast information to the abortion and end-of-life issues,” Ho told CNS. part of that. faith,” he said. entire archdiocese. “Sometimes people troll because they just Despite the novelty of Twitter, Westhoff Even the bishop himself has taken to Twit- The account also helps the diocese evan- don’t understand what we’re trying to do, and said nothing about it is really all that new. ter. gelize. so we’ve had some very good outcomes just “There’s a long history of Catholic com- “He’s very hands-on in running his per- Ho said that a decent number of people ask responding and talking to people.” munications. It starts with God speaking sonal account,” Sciarappa said. questions, and “if people are asking questions The Archdiocese of St. Louis sees its Twitter to Adam,” she said. “Imagine what St. Paul Every month, he tweets asking for prayer we’ll respond.” account as a way to evangelize. could have done with a Twitter account.” n • Toronto shooting victims remembered and mourned • ORLANDO DIOCESE PALM BEACH DIOCESE VENICE DIOCESE Hope for refugees Youth spiritually nourished Priestly ordination WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG | July 27-Aug. 16, 2018 FLORIDACatholic ORLANDO DIOCESE Programs broaden horizons for refugees Last names have been build her skill and experience,” said eran CCCF caseworker. “But what is omitted to protect minors. Latt. most important is that the students In January, Latt and Alex’s vol- get inspired by coming here. They GLENDA MEEKINS unteer mentor, Caitlin McGrath, come to the U.S. and most say they of the Florida Catholic staff helped her apply for the culinary want to go to college, but they don’t program. Her charm and enthusi- know what that looks like. So we ORLANDO | It’s 4 a.m. and asm garnered her a spot. The team take this opportunity to show them 18-year-old Asende Alex is waking spent the next 14 weeks accompa- UCF and to learn about different up to get to her job at Starbucks in nying Alex on her journey, making programs here. Coming here, they the Florida Hotel in Orlando, but sure she would succeed. “Although really get inspired and know why she’s not complaining. I had my initial doubts, they soon they need to work so hard in high Until two years ago, Alex had disappeared,” said Latt. “Asende school.” spent her entire life living in a ref- was not a quitter. Once she set her Antonio Losavio, the UCF doctor- ugee camp in Tanzania after her goal, she worked hard to reach it.” al student in education in charge of parents fled the war in Congo. She Alex remembered her first day of the partnership, agreed. “There are chose the early shift so her father class at Second Harvest. “It was too so many benefits to our community, can give her a ride, but in the after- hard. I didn’t understand,” she re- to our future teachers and scholars.” Asende Alex enjoys preparing an iced coffee at her new job, thanks to noon she’s not so lucky. It will take called. “They speak so fast and my A product of Catholic schools and the collaborative partnership of Catholic Charities of Central Florida her two buses and an hour and a English so slow. I say, ‘Oh, I can’t do daily Mass, Losavio said, “It was in- Refugee Youth Services caseworkers and Second Harvest Food Bank’s half to get home, for what should be this because I don’t speak English.’” stilled in me at an early age that my culinary program. (PHOTOS BY GLENDA MEEKINS | FC) a 30-minute trip. Still, her gratitude She admits she wanted to quit and role on earth is to engage in charity, for Catholic Charities of Central nearly called Latt. Alex decided to global citizenship and social justice Florida Refugee Youth Services and keep going because she loves cook- to help my neighbors. … On a spiri- Asende Second Harvest Food Bank remains ing and recognized she needed the tual level I was taught that we don’t Alex stands strong. The agencies helped her get culinary knowledge and experi- succeed unless we all succeed to- with a member the training needed to get a job and gether.” ence. of Catholic help her family. Her commitment paid off. Within Fiorella has felt that welcoming Charities On the other end of town, 16-year- weeks of graduating, Alex became spirit. “I like the program because following old Fiorella R. is waiting for CCCF employed full time as a barista. they help me with vocabulary and her case managers to pick her up. They Despite the long bus rides, she said are patient, explaining everything. completion have been travelling from Apopka to she would not change a thing. “Liv- It’s incredible,” she said. As a rising of the Poinciana all morning, gathering up ing here is better than in Tanzania,” senior at Dr. Phillips High School, Second youths ages 16-19 so they can attend she stated.