Commission on Evangelization

During an evangelization workshop, parishioners at Immaculate Conception in Pulaski, Tenn., take a break after sharing a key time during their life's walk with Jesus. What plans is your parish making this fall for outreach to inactive Catholics or to those with no Church home? Check out 'Evangelization Ideas That Work.'

E-vangelization: Proclaiming the Good News In Cyberspace

How can the world of cyberspace be a more effective vehicle for evangelization and catechesis? Sister Susan Pontz, an instructional technologist and a member of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, was the presenter and focused on that questions during the most recent meeting of the Glenmary Commission on Evangelization.

Sister Susan spoke of the Internet’s increasing impact on the faith formation of many Americans. But she also helped the Commission envision how this technology could be used for promoting Catholic evangelization.

In today’s society, the Church must understand this virtual world in order to communicate effectively with its people, who are steeped in the experience of this new technology. The Church through its agencies and parishes needs to have a Web presence in order to reach people who may be seeking religious information or religious connections.

As a far reaching, ever present, instantaneous medium that is widely used by many people, the Internet can help to bring about the first step in evangelization—bringing the Good News to where people are searching, but it’s still the personal one-to-one contact that brings them to Church!

For more specifics from this presentation:
—Facts about Internet use...
—The Church's response...
—An idea that works: Advertising Your Web Site
—How Ethical and Legal Is Your Parish Web Site?
—Relevant book review: The Gospel in Cyberspace by Pierre Babin and Angela Ann Zukowski

For more Evangelization Updates

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For more information, contact:
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1312 Fifth Ave., North
Nashville, TN  37208
615-256-1900
dps@glenmary.org