Parishes reaching Catholics through technology, strengthening spiritual family

As 8 a.m. approaches, Father Joseph Johnson prepares for daily Mass with a vital new assistant: a video camera.

Due to stay-at-home orders and social distancing requirements to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the pastor of Holy Family in St. Louis Park — like many pastors across the archdiocese — has embraced technology to livestream Mass and connect with parishioners.

Holy Family’s simple camera system, used in the past to broadcast Mass downstairs for overflow or parents with a fussy child, was upgraded two years ago to accommodate high definition cameras.

“We’re still doing Sunday Masses from the main church, but now holding daily Mass in the adoration chapel,” Father Johnson said. “We had one camera system wired but not fully operational, and we had to start another one from scratch.”

Back on March 10, the staff at Holy Family spent a lot of time discussing what was happening with the coronavirus, and the impact on parishioners.

The parish already used Flocknote, a communications tool using emails and text messages, for weekly parish news. As coronavirus policies and precautions started changing almost daily, Father Johnson began sending out the Flocknote messages.

“Eventually his messages included more spiritually based and parish-life type reflections, as it became clear that we’d be able to provide less to people physically, and would need to do more to meet their needs virtually,” said Lisa Bearth, communications coordinator at Holy Family.

“Social distancing doesn’t have to mean spiritual distance,” Father Johnson said. “We’re using Flocknote to lift the spirit, with YouTube links to pieces of music and artwork.”

“I’m now spending three hours a day either making videos for our YouTube channel or putting together uplifting Flocknote messages,” he added. “It’s reinventing pastoral ministry.”

Father Johnson created special YouTube meditations for Holy Week. He has also developed personal YouTube messages for targeted groups, sending greetings to college students now at home doing online coursework, encouragement to high school seniors to help them acknowledge their grief, and a nod to second-graders awaiting their first Communion.

“Every category of people is experiencing this differently, and it’s important to speak to them with their particular concerns,” said Father Johnson. “That’s what Jesus would want to do — connect with people where they are at.”

Holy Family’s newest initiative is a virtual parish talent show, which will be uploaded to YouTube.

“These times present a unique opportunity to restore the parish as a spiritual family,” Father Johnson said. “That’s what we all need now, that sense of belonging. I may be isolated, but I’m not alone.”

At St. John the Baptist in Jordan, similar efforts are underway to help parishioners stay connected to one another.

Father Neil Bakker, who has served as pastor for just under two years, was particularly equipped to take on this challenge. He worked in information technology for 10 years, in technical and business capacities.

“The archbishop dispensed Catholics from their obligation to attend Sunday Mass on March 15; that same day, I ordered all the equipment necessary to set up livestreaming onsite,” he said.

“The key to good streaming is the audio. It has to be clear and consistent,” Father Bakker said. “We understood this from the beginning, and worked hard to make it high quality. We also installed an FM transmitter so that parishioners could come and sit in the parking lot in their cars and listen to Mass.”

St. John the Baptist sends emails to parishioners with the weekend liturgy guide, along with the livestream link, to make it easy for people to know where they can find the Mass.

“As the weeks have gone on, we have enhanced the streaming by overlaying Mass prayers as they happen during Mass, as well as other enhancements to help people feel like they are really experiencing Mass at home, not just watching a television program,” Father Bakker said.

Parishioners are grateful for the opportunity to “attend” Mass and feel connected with their parish family.

“I’ve received dozens and dozens of emails, texts and phone calls from parishioners, thanking me for rapidly installing a quality system,” Father Bakker said. “I’ve been edified by getting photos from families as they ‘go to Mass’ in their living rooms.”

St. John the Baptist also added a YouTube channel on March 17. As of April 13, more than 15,000 people had viewed videos of daily and weekend Masses as well as Holy Week services.

“I’ve done a few videos for our school students as well, and now that we are through Triduum, I hope to do more of that,” Father Bakker said. “In a small community, the parish is the heart and center, where people gather not only to worship God, but to be connected to one another.”

He added: “By making our parish visible in a quality way online, people still feel that connection, and they are able to enter into the inestimable value of the sacrifice of the Mass, the perfect worship of the Father in Christ.”