A Treasure To Be Shared

The recent phenomenon of social‑media influencers departing the Catholic priesthood or religious life reveals a deeper tension between the contemplative identity of vocation and the performative pressures of digital culture. At its heart, this trend suggests a collision between two modes of self‑understanding: 1) the ecclesial call to hiddenness, stability, and sacrificial service, and 2) the online demand for visibility, personal branding, and constant audience engagement. One possible cause is the subtle shift in interior motivation that prolonged digital exposure can create. The priest or religious who begins by evangelizing online may gradually find his sense of worth tied to metrics of influence — followers, views, affirmation — rather than the quiet fidelity of pastoral charity or communal prayer. The digital world rewards immediacy and novelty; the Church asks for perseverance, obedience, and the slow work of sanctification. When these two rhythms clash, the vocation can feel s...

Are you an 'X Catholic' or an 'Ex-Catholic', or perhaps both? X Catholic : a Catholic who inhabits X, formerly Twitter, and uses the platform to disseminate whatever it is s/he may choose that peaks the Catholic interest. The X Catholic may be Trad and Glad or Rad and Bad, which is to say faithful or heterodox. X is well known for offering a space for sharing conversion stories and asking questions for those searching for meaning and authenticity. It helps people connect and discover communities where their questions are answered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, leading to healing and salvation. Brief video testimonies uploaded by converts speak volumes and help create a meaningful familiarity with a person's story. There are sites that offer group recitation of the Holy Rosary. Catholic "influencers" of the orthodox kind offer valuable insights. Live episodes of Catholics Answers and other reliable sites are linked to at X. And, of course, not just X. ...

evangelization  (n.) 1650s, action of preaching the Gospel, noun of action from evangelize . From 1827 as act of bringing under the influence of the Gospel. evangelize (v.) late 14c., from Old French evangeliser "to spread or preach the Gospel," and directly from Church Latin evangelizare , from Greek euangelizesthai . Catholic apologists—young and old, lay and ordained—are rising to support the renewed mission to make known the Gospel. They take seriously the Church's call to evangelize, and they are faithful, well-mannered, and well-read. They are converts and cradle Catholics. Their methods are diverse, but they share in common a love of God and love of the Church. Their creative approaches are wed to Tradition. Their lives are a celebration of God's mercy. They are literate in the wisdom of God and the theology of the Church. They are steeped in history, and they bring enthusiasm to their respective callings under the umbrella of the mission to share the Gospel fo...

The few, the faithful. In no particular order. https://www.catholicregister.org/  Founded in 1893 https://canadiancatholicnews.ca/  Canadian Catholic News (CCN) is a coast-to-coast co-operative news service serving Catholic media across Canada. https://cchahistory.ca/ | The CCHA’s mandate is to: promote the presentation and understanding of historical sites and buildings, documents, and significant heirlooms of the past; print and distribute its own publications: Historical Studies, and other works about Canadian Catholic History, as the occasion warrants or circumstances permit. https://ccrl.ca/  The Catholic Civil Rights League https://fatherdesouza.com/  Internationally acclaimed journalist. https://loc.ignatius.com/michael-obrien-novels/  Michael D. O’Brien is the author of several books, including his nine-volume series of novels published by Ignatius Press, notably the best-selling Father Elijah. For more than thirty years he has been a professional artis...

Saint John Henry Newman, formerly Blessed John Henry Newman, a community of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, now has a new website: http://www.victoriaordinariate.com Do visit! Saint John Henry Newman, a quasi-parish, worships at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, 849 Old Esquimalt Road, Victoria, BC.