Bishop Robert Barron has pioneered a “digital strategy” for the American Church. His Word on Fire Catholic Ministries reaches millions of viewers with inspiring, informative content. Barron and his team are savvy: their videos are sharp and well-produced, rivalling any secular multimedia outlet.
Now they are tackling a major challenge to the Church that has evangelists stumped: how to re-engage with lapsed Catholics. Seventy-five per cent of American Catholics don’t attend Mass regularly. Even with the 25 per cent who do show up on Sunday, only about seven per cent are otherwise involved in parish life. Those tight-knit communities where churches were the centre of social life have disappeared. Older Catholics remember when meeting one’s future wife at Mass and taking her to a parish dance was the norm of courtship. For a younger generation, it’s virtually impossible to imagine.
