Because the vast majority of U.S. states have eliminated Covid 19 travel restrictions, CNN recently announced that it would no longer routinely update this story. The consequences of the lifting of restrictions have been rather significant and far-reaching.
I walked into a major department store yesterday, and on every door, a sign in big letters declared those vaccinated against Covid no longer need to wear masks. This lifting of restrictions has reached everywhere. In the parish where I help on weekends in Adrian, MI, there are very few people wearing masks in church, and this weekend we are restarting the "sign of peace" at mass, albeit with the caution to do so safely.
The lessening of restrictions is a great relief for many. I know there is much more activity in restaurants, at sporting events, and in our churches. Isn't it great?
Maybe everything will soon be back to where it was before Covid. But, should everything be back to what it was?
Several people in my parish have remarked, "Now we can end social media efforts, including broadcasting mass online." I responded saying, "Why would we do that?" That comment began a rather challenging discussion on the merits of continuing to do "churchy" things online. The conversation has given me time to reflect on this question and ponder the merits of online church events ranging from Pastor's Reflections to Sunday and daily celebrations of the Eucharist.
Not that I consider myself the best source to find an answer to this issue, but I had to ask myself several questions when pondering it. Questions such as. What if St. Paul had decided not to go to Corinth, Galatia, Rome, Colossae, or the other places mentioned in his 13 epistles? Or what if Peter had never gone to Rome? What if they both decided that what they had in Jerusalem was good enough, and everyone should come to them. After all, this was where Jesus died and rose from the dead.
Can there be any place better to live and follow Christ?
Peter and Paul took a different track in evangelizing their world. It seems to me that Social Media provides a similar path for the church in today's world. Almost every citizen of the world is online. Where else can you reach so many people so easily. Unlike Paul, there are no long, arduous trips or shipwrecked boats in this endeavor. I think every parish, every religious community, and Catholic institution should be looking for ways to improve their social media footprint and become more effective in spreading the Good News and evangelizing the world.
Francis de Sales used the technology available in his day to evangelize and promote Christian life by his use of flyers and books to convert Calvinists of the Chablais. His work published in 1609, The Introduction to the Devout Life, was written for laypeople, a novel idea. CatholiCity, a repository of "the Finest Catholic CDs, Booklets, and Novels," calls it "the most popular Catholic' self-help' book of all time." Francis also wrote a two-volume tome, The Treatise on the Love of God, and thousands of letters to those seeking his advice. In 1923, Pope Pius XI proclaimed him the "patron of writers and journalists, because he made extensive use of broadsheets and books both in spiritual direction and in his efforts to convert the Calvinists of the region."
In our continued use of social media, we continue the missionary spirit we can trace throughout our church's history, beginning with the first disciples. It seems to me; social media is something deserving of our time and energy. Why not pause during your day and check into the mass broadcast from someplace far or near. We all need a shot in the arm once in a while, in addition to the Covid vaccine.
Fr. Jack Loughran, OSFS
Provincial
Toledo-Detroit Province
